Captive
by Revisioned
Summary: Touko has been taken as N's prisoner after losing to him in their battle. He now holds her deep within his castle under constant video surveillance. Can she escape; Or will she remain his captive? Ferriswheelshipping!
1. Chapter 1

"Do you really think you can stop us with _that_?" N scoffed at Samurott's oncoming Razor Shell attack, which his Klinklang dodged expertly.

Sweat completely covered her body, drenching Touko and causing her clothes and hair to stick to herself. She panted heavily, alongside her Pokémon while calculating what her next move could be.

She had two revives left, and only Zekrom and Samurott still stood. The legendary black dragon had been caught minutes before this battle had begun, and she was in denial that he even belonged to her. She hadn't used him once the entirety of the battle. She had relied on Blitzle, Excadrill, Liligant, and Darmanitan, all of whom had been exhausted from battle, while N still had Zoroark, Klinklang, and Reshiram.

"Use…" the command died in her throat as she saw a dazzling bolt of light headed straight for Samurott. Without quite knowing it, her body had begun moving towards him the moment she saw the light. She rushed to get in front of Samurott before the beam could hit him, yet failed to reach him fast enough. His howl of pain echoed loudly throughout the castle's throne room, sending shivers through her body.

"N!" Touko cried out in anger as she knelt beside her now unconscious Pokémon, his skin slightly sizzled to the touch.

"What will you do now, Touko?" N asked from across the room. "This is madness. Look at your Pokémon. Is this what you want?"

"I…" she trailed off as she gave Samurott's battered body another once over. "Return" she muttered lowly.

She stared down at the Master Ball that lay in her hand and the five others that contained Pokémon too weak to fight any longer. She wouldn't give up; she couldn't. The fate of the Unova region resided on her shoulders.

"Zekrom!" she called, releasing the black dragon into the open area. His colossal size shook the ground they stood on, causing already crumbling parts of the ceiling and pillars to fall. "Zen Headbutt!"

The black dragon moved swiftly, striking the Klinklang down in one hit. N said nothing in between switching out his fainted Pokémon for another one.

"Reshiram!" N called as the white dragon materialized before her.

"Zen Headbutt!" Touko called. Reshiram looked to its Trainer obediently, who gave no indication to dodge the attack. The white dragon stood in place as its counterpart rushed towards it with blinding speed. Something was off, however. Electricity began to spark in all different directions from Zekrom's tail.

He was using Fusion Bolt.

"No!" Touko cried as the two Pokémon collided. Bolts of stray electricity were emitted in every direction. Touko danced around the sparks as best she could, but was brought down to her knees when getting directly hit one of them. Zekrom's terrifying cry sounded throughout the hall, before flying back to their side of the battlefield.

Once the smoke had cleared, and Touko was able to stand again, she looked up, expecting to see the form of a magnificent white dragon. Instead, she saw the crumpled form of the Pokémon Zoroark.

"You knew…" Touko uttered incredulously under her breath. The black dragon only looked at her from the corner of his eye. She had thought that Zekrom had just blatantly ignored her order.

"I'm surprised that you didn't see through such a simple illusion" N stated, returning the fallen Zoroark. "No matter. Reshiram!"

_'It's one to one' _Touko realized. For a split second she was filled with a new vigor. Heart pulverizing her chest, she reached quickly for an item she had been saving for just this situation.

"Zekrom! Keep away from Reshiram!" Touko ordered the black dragon, who nodded its head. Seconds later, it lifted into the air, just narrowly avoiding a hyper beam attack. The attack caused Touko to stumble and fall over pieces of the destroyed building. She crawled to her bag that lay a few feet away while simultaneously pulling out a pokéball.

The earth quaked as she neared the bag, forcing her to narrowly escape falling debris. She reached out a hand and snatched the bag by the strap, which was slick with blood from her now scraped hands.

"C'mon…" she muttered to herself as she searched the pink bag for the yellow healing item. She glanced at Zekrom, who was busy avoiding attacks from Reshiram. Her hands wrapped around something hard and polished, as she released her still unconscious Samurott. She touched the Max Revive she had been saving to the Pokémon, and waited anxiously as it took effect.

Looking back to the battle, she saw that Reshiram's tail had become engulfed in flame. Zekroms's only chance to still be standing was…

"Fusion Bolt!" Touko shouted to the dragon, whose own tail immediately began sparking with electricity. The two dragons rushed each other head on, creating a dust cloud when finally colliding from all of the debris, which managed to send Touko backwards. Bits of glass and rubble scratched at her face and stung her eyes, but she restlessly sat up as the dust cleared.

The shapes of two large beings lay in heaps in the middle of the battlefield, unmoving. Touko stood on shaky legs, her bloodied knees nearly giving out on her. She looked to her opponent, whose face was a mixture of shock and disbelief.

"A tie?" He murmured loud enough for her to hear from her end of the room.

"No" she corrected, motioning to her Samurott, whose health had returned. "I win, N" she half cried in joy. Tears began flowing down her cheeks in waves, blurring her vision immensely.

The older boy looked like he was about to say something when a chunk of the ceiling fell in layers, landing on Samurott. The Pokémon wailed in pain from beneath the rubble, sealing it in a makeshift tomb.

Touko stared in numb confusion as the wide doors leading out of the room opened. Entering through them was a man whose hair resembled the King's, but whose manner was far more malevolent.

"Well done N!" he praised. "You defeated this _foolish_ trainer"

"I did…?" N said uncertainly.

"She is out of Pokémon" he said in slight annoyance.

"So is he!" Touko interjected, pointing a finger at N.

"Is that so?" Ghetsis challenged, smile stretching wide across his face. "You ought to take another look" Touko followed the man's gaze to the white dragon, whose body had begun to stir. A few seconds later the dragon stood to its full height, shaking off all of the debris from its body.

"How…?" Touko breathed in disbelief. It wasn't possible… A moment ago it'd been knocked unconscious…

"You see?" Ghetsis gloated. "You never stood a chance against our King"

"But-"

"Triad!" Ghetsis called. Three ninja-like men appeared instantaneously from the shadows. "Dispose of her!"

"Wait!" N said, surprising me.

"Yes, my King?" Ghetsis asked through gritted teeth. It was evident his patience was wearing thin with the young man.

"We should keep her under our surveillance" N stated. "She got thus far. We should take precautions, should she be free to go and choose to retaliate"

Ghetsis had an expression of pure, malevolent bliss on his face. "How well thought, my King"

"You can't be serious!" Touko protested. "That's kidnapping!"

"The King has ordered it, so it shall be" Ghetsis recited. "From here on out, you shall serve as our prisoner" Two Shadow Triad members gripped her under each arm. Touko flailed her legs aimlessly, but she was not released. The third avoided her legs easily, stripping her of her Pokémon.

"Hey!" Touko protested. "Give me them back!" She kicked even harder, even hitting one of the Triad once.

"Take her to Anthea and Concordia" N ordered. The Triad members stood there a moment, as if awaiting the confirmation on someone else.

"You heard him! Out with you!" Ghetsis barked. The Triad members nodded in unison before lifting Touko slightly off of the ground. The last thing she heard in between her shouts of protest was Ghetsis estimating how much damage the pair had caused the castle.

* * *

"Ow!" Touko yelped in pain each time the stinging wet cloth was brought in contact with her skin.

"It would go by faster if you didn't jump at every little touch" the Plasma Goddess Anthea scolded. She and Concordia had been trying to dress the girl's wounds for over an hour, with little avail given how _sensitive_ she was.

Touko had only spoken to the Goddesses once, and that was just before her battle with N. They had healed her Pokémon, and told her some crazy story of how N had been raised.

"I wouldn't jump if it didn't hurt so much" Touko retorted defiantly.

"If you dislike our treatment that much we can use ulterior methods" Concordia chimed in darkly, making Touko fall silent. Was everyone here this terrible?

Touko remained silent the rest of the healing process, only inhaling sharply or wincing softly when the pain became too great.

"There. All done" Anthea said after placing a bandage to cover the gash on Touko's forehead. "You're lucky the damage is only external"

"Is it true?" Touko blurted out all of a sudden, her voice now strained from the overuse of it during the battle.

"Is what true?" Concordia asked with a slight frown, pausing cleaning up the bloodied clothes they'd used to clean her wounds.

"That ridiculous story…" Touko said gruffly. It sounded harsher than it was meant to, but that didn't bother Touko.

"Of course it is true" Anthea snapped. "Why would we lie about our King's upbringing?"

"…" Touko said nothing in response.

"You should be grateful to the Master" Concordia started. "Without him having us bind your wounds, you probably would have passed out by now"

"Yippee. Tell me: do you offer free healthcare for all of your prisoners?" Touko commented. Neither of the Goddesses found her remark humorous.

"Should we send for the Triad?" Concordia asked Anthea.

"Don't I get a phone call or something?" Touko interrupted.

"Miss Touko. Please remain quiet." Anthea scolded, giving the younger woman a glare that could paralyze Arceus himself. Touko fell silent again, examining her bandages while the Goddesses worked to place her.

"Come Miss Touko" Anthea said after they had finished discussing. Concordia led the way and Anthea followed behind Touko, to make sure she wouldn't try anything.

After walking a seemingly endless amount of stairs, the goddesses stopped behind a set of wide bronze doors.

"It's Anthea and Concordia" Anthea stated clearly.

"We have Miss Touko" Concordia added. A few moments passed before the heavy set of doors opened inwardly, thanks to the aid of two Shadow Triad members. A plush red carpet served as a walkway to a magnificent wooden desk. On either side of the desk stood a man with green hair; the younger one was leaning over a set of blueprints, occasionally pointing at something and looking up at his father. As they made their way further into the room, the three women caught his eye, and he looked up completely from the blueprints.

"What is the meaning of this?" Ghetsis growled, though his anger was relatively well controlled at the moment. "She should be in the cells by now"

"Miss Touko had a question" Anthea stated plainly.

"This is ridiculous! She's a prisoner!"

"It's fine." N said, with a wave of his hand, silencing his father's protests.

"… Go on then! Get it out!" Ghetsis said impatiently. Touko remained silent, causing the older man more grief. "If you're not going to say it then-"

"Perhaps Miss Touko is not comfortable asking in front of everyone" Concordia suggested.

"We can finish this later, father" N said, his eyes never leaving Touko as he spoke.

"Fine" Ghetsis grumbled, viciously grabbing the map as he did. "Don't entertain her too long. You have a meeting within the hour." Ghetsis said while walking away dramatically. The Triad respectfully followed Ghetsis out, followed by the Goddesses.

"You had a question?" N said as he sat in the chair that lay behind his desk.

"How?" was all Touko said, causing the young King to frown.

"Can you be more specific?" N asked.

"How were you the victor? How did Reshiram revive?" Touko's voice reached to a shout.

"I believe you are mistaken." N said evenly. "Reshiram was never unconscious"

"But I- I saw-"

"What I wanted you to see" N replied, oddly more sure of himself this time. Touko's frustration with the boy had skyrocketed. She walked up to the desk, aggressively placing her hands on the smooth, wooden surface.

"Give. Me. Back. My. Pokémon" she snarled.

N's manner remained calm, his face blank as he spoke. "Touko, it's for the best. You'll see"

"How is depriving everyone of their friends 'for the best'?" Touko tried to reason. "You'll be tearing apart families!"

"And isn't that exactly what Trainers do? Tear innocent Pokémon away from family and friends for selfish purposes? My decision is final; within a few days, everyone will be forced to release their Pokémon." He refuted. "Anyone caught disobeying the new law will suffer the consequences."

"Then release me!" Touko shouted in his face. "What is the purpose of keeping me here when I have nothing to retaliate with?"

"I want to study you" N said plainly.

"Study me?! I'm not some fifth grade science project, N! I'm a human being!"

"I am aware of your species." N said. Touko wanted to jump across the desk and throttle him. A few silent moments passed before his eyes glanced at a clock that lay on the desk. "I must be going. The Triad will escort you to your room"

"You can't just leave me here! I'm not through with you!"

"As my father said, you are still our… prisoner." He said the last word hesitantly, as if he did not wish to call her that. "You don't get to make demands" He pushed a button on his desk before standing up and beginning to walk past her.

Touko had had enough. Clenched fists formed on either side of her, and she didn't hesitate when he got within her range. She swung her right fist, which connected with his shoulder. He turned, eyes wide with surprise as she wound up to strike him again. This time, her wrist was caught mid-swing by a Triad member, and placed behind her back at a painful angle.

"Escort her to a room" N said calmly, though his eyes were still wide.

The adrenaline Touko had been running on since the battle drained as she was half pushed through the halls of the castle. Her hand was throbbing from when she hit N, whose shoulder had been surprisingly hard. The Triad had her surrounded, not that she could go anywhere within the grasp of the one who still held her arm to her back.

They stopped in front of a plain door.

"Why are you bringing me back here?" Touko questioned. The only response she got was being pushed into the old bedroom, having the door immediately shut behind her. She checked the handle, which was now locked. She rested her back against the door as her eyes began to adjust to the dim lighting.

Creepy music still played from the speaker system, somewhat broken up by how old it was. The train she had noticed the first time in the room was still running on its broken track. She walked further into the room, stumbling over the toys that were strewn all across the floor. She approached the skate ramp, which stood an extra five feet above her.

She figured the fall off of the top wouldn't kill her if she tried, but would only break a few bones. She didn't know if Anthea and Concordia could treat broken bones, and she figured that there was no way that N would release her and allow for her to attend a regular hospital.

Touko instead lay against the bank of one of the sides. Her head felt heavy, and she was beginning to fully feel just how broken her body was. She curled her knees to her chest, and, for the first time in years, she began to cry.


	2. Chapter 2

Touko woke in a small, square room; plain white walls strikingly contrasted the black tile floor. She slowly sat up on the thin mattress, inhaling sharply at her body's aches in protest. Her brain pounded painfully against her skull with enough force to make her dizzy. She swung her legs over the side of the bed, recoiling at first at the frigidness of the floor. She stood sluggishly, gripping the bed for support to keep her legs from collapsing underneath her. There were no visible doors or windows, nor was there a bathroom; not even a sink or a mirror was present. Looking up, she did notice a small camera in the corner of his room, and what she assumed was a speaker in the center of the room.

A sudden wave of nausea hit the teen, forcing her back to her bed. She winced as she lowered herself back onto it.

"You're awake" The voice of Anthea reverberated throughout the room, only worsening her headache.

"Where am I?" Touko asked, though she had a vague idea.

"You're in your room" Concordia said.

"You can't be serious…" Touko said as more of a complaint than a protest.

"As you know, Master N never grew up interacting with humans much" Anthea said.

"What does that have to do with me being kept in a room that doesn't even have a bathroom?"

"It means that what you may consider 'irregular' may be perfectly normal to him" Concordia said.

"On some level he has to know this is wrong! Would he treat a Pokémon this way?"

"Absolutely not!"

"Well then why would he-"

"Well, you are the first prisoner he's had" Anthea defended.

"Perhaps you wish to speak with Master N?" Concordia inquired.

Touko thought a moment. No, she didn't want to talk to the creep! She wanted her Pokémon, her freedom, and to forget ever encountering him.

"Yes" Touko replied through gritted teeth.

"Very well. We shall call for him"

"But-!" The line went dead.

_Great!_ She thought. _ I'm about to try negotiating with a lunatic!_

The minutes in between dragged by painfully slow. The next time it came on, the voice of the King himself graced her ears with its presence.

"I hear you have some questions regarding your living situation?"

"Do you honestly think that this is any decent way to treat another human being?" Touko snarled directly at the camera. "Why couldn't you have kept me in a regular cell?"

"This is the perfect room to monitor your behavior." The King clarified. "There are no outside interferences-"

"There's not even a bathroom!" She squeaked hysterically. He was _psychotic!_ "Not to mention the constant surveillance is perverse! What if I need to change?!"

"Anthea and Concordia will be by soon to redress your wounds. You may use the restroom and change then" N said smoothly over the speaker system. "As for the cameras, how am I to monitor your behavior all day otherwise?"

"You could keep me with you" Touko said sarcastically.

"I suppose I could" N said after a few moments of deep thought. She held her head in her hands in disbelief as the King actually considered her suggestion. "But for now you shall comply with what I have arranged" he added before cutting off completely.

"RAAARGH!" Touko clutched her pillow to her face and screamed into it in annoyance. How could someone be so- so-

"Good day, Miss Touko" Anthea and Concordia greeted sharply. Touko removed the pillow from her face to see the Goddesses stepping into-no-through the room. Touko watched in mild fascination as the two women emerged from the white walls, two psychic Pokémon trailing behind them.

"We're here to get you cleaned up" Anthea said, giving the teen daggers. Touko stumbled to her feet, nearly toppling over on her way to meet the women.

"Careful. You wouldn't want to injure anything else" Concordia warned halfheartedly as she helped steady the teen. Touko now stood between the two women, who held her wrists firm with one hand each, and began walking towards the wall. Touko couldn't fathom the idea of walking through something that looked so solid. Had the two Goddesses not been tugging her along, Touko would have stopped walking.

She closed her eyes tight when only mere inches from the wall, letting the Goddesses and her feet guide her. A piercing cold sensation struck her entire body, making Touko gasp and open her eyes wide. _They were physically travelling through the walls of the castle!_ She saw rows of regular cells to her left and right, and when she looked back past the two Psychic-type Pokémon she saw her own getting smaller and smaller.

"Halt" Anthea hissed, jerking hard on Touko's wrist. She faltered back a step, realigning herself with the two women. The sudden plunge of her stomach alerted Touko that they were floating upwards. Touko closed her eyes again while rapidly ascending and only reopened them once she felt the firm, flat surface of the floor beneath her feet.

"Thank you" The Goddesses said in unison to the two Pokémon that they had used, a Gardevoir and a Gothitelle, before dismissing them.

"Now then…" Anthea started, releasing Touko's wrist and beginning to circle her.

"Where to begin?" Concordia concluded, also circling the teen, making her feel very annoyed and oddly self-conscious.

The pink haired Goddess took a step closer to her and sniffed before recoiling. "You need a shower" she said with a wrinkled nose. The two women then led her through a door and into a ginormous, octagonal bathroom.

Long veils of dark green and gold silk draped across sections of the wall, covering the otherwise bare, cream walls. A magnificent four-tier chandelier hung from the high ceiling above the white porcelain tub with gold detailing that lay in the center of the room; the only other furniture was a small vanity. Touko began heading straight for the bathtub until one of the women caught her arm, making Touko cry out in pain

"Ah ah ah" Concordia scolded, gently releasing her.

"What do you think I'm going to do; drown myself?" Touko growled before looking at the two women, whose expressions told her that that was exactly what they were preparing for.

"The showers are through there" Anthea said, pointing to another door. "Once you have showered and used the restroom, return back here so that we may dress you and your wounds"

Touko already had begun walking, about halfway to the other door when one of the Goddesses added "And don't make us have to come in there and get you out!"

* * *

Touko set the water to the hottest setting, taking time for it to heat up before ripping her clothing off and jumping in. She struggled to remove the elastic band that coiled around her chocolate locks before eventually breaking it in two. The broken hair-tie now lay by the drain as Touko stared at it a few moments. She spontaneously began crying at the sight, unable to control her emotions.

She sunk to the floor of the shower, unable to stand on her own any longer. The scalding water was unpleasant, as it was admittedly too hot for her skin, but welcomed. Only when she heard a warning shout from Anthea that if she didn't hurry soon they'd come and get her did Touko regain enough composure to begin cleansing herself. She quickly mounted piles of shampoo into her hair and hastily scrubbed hard, removing as much dirt from it as she could. She did the same with her body.

Moments before the two Goddesses had barged into the room, Touko had wrapped one towel in her hair, and another around her body.

"Here" Concordia said, holding out a robe to Touko. It was thin and black and not very comfortable, but there was nothing that she could do about that other than wear it. The Goddesses turned around to allow the teen to change before escorting her back to the room with the tub.

"Sit" Anthea commanded, pointing to a seat in front of a vanity set. Touko did, and the older girl swiftly removed the towel from her hair before trying to brush through it. The brushstrokes yanked painfully on Touko's extremely knotted hair, as she hadn't had the time to use conditioner. After an almost excruciating hour, Touko's hair was tamed and being styled.

Touko watched dismally as deadened chunks of hair cascaded to the floor. It had been a long time since she had properly taken care of it, and the Goddesses wasted no time removing the useless strands.

After about another half an hour of styling, Touko's hair rested about six inches shorter than it previously had, coming just between her shoulders and her chin. She fingered her butchered hair with a sad expression, feeling as though another piece of her was missing.

"Here are some fresh clothes" One of the Goddesses said, pointing to a plain set of bras and underwear, and a hideous Team Plasma color-based prison jumpsuit.

"You can't be serious" Touko muttered, this time in protest.

"As Sage Ghetsis and Master N clearly stated, you are our prisoner" Anthea said coldly.

"Besides; the only real difference between this and a Unova jumpsuit would be the personalized modifications" Concordia added. Touko reluctantly dressed, slipping on the baggy jumpsuit that she noticed bore the number '1'.

"Are you ready to go?" Anthea asked, back facing Touko. "We still have your wounds to dress"

"Wait" Touko said hesitantly. If she demanded more rights, wouldn't it be like she was agreeing with what was being done to her? Then again… "I want to negotiate with N about prisoner treatment"

"You deserve nothing!" Anthea boiled, whirling around to face Touko. "You would be in a far worse place by now had Sage Ghetsis had his way. And how do you repay the Master? By striking him! I ought to punish you for such ill treatment of our- your King! Now I suggest you be quiet and learn your place!"

The pink haired woman's face was beet red. Touko froze from the rage that the older woman had displayed. Even Concordia seemed shocked at the outburst, though she too had shot dirty glances at the teen.

"Let's go" She said, painfully grabbing Touko's wrist and hauling her back to her room.

* * *

The two women quickly dressed Touko's wounds from her cell. The air was filled with awkward silence and tension, discouraging Touko from speaking, lest she set Anthea off again. When finished, the pink haired Goddess marched angrily from the room, while the other one lingered.

"Please excuse Anthea's outburst" she said softly. "Master N is someone very dear to us. We practically raised him. We're the closest thing to mother figures that he has…" She paused a moment, as if unsure if she should continue speaking or not. "As for the meeting, I shall see if I can arrange anything. I make no promises"

"Thank you" Touko murmured lowly to herself after the Goddess vanished through the wall. She laid back on the bed she was sitting on; finding fresh new sheets there to greet her.

"Guess I am number one after all" she muttered darkly while tracing the '1' on her chest. She wanted to cry at the sheer ridiculousness of her situation, but she was fresh out of tears. Instead, she opted for finding some way to entertain herself. All that lay in the room was her bed and a small wastebasket. It was empty, but…

Touko carefully unwrapped her bruised hand, wadding up the tape into a decent sized ball. She lightly tossed the ball towards the trashcan, missing it by several inches. She crawled off the bed to retrieve the ball before throwing it again. After a few more failed attempts, the brunette was able to consistently make the "ball" go in the basket. Growing bored of the easy task, she challenged herself to shoot from a farther distance. It didn't take long for her to adjust and make every shot. Soon, she was even sitting in one corner, while the trashcan lay in the one diagonal from her. It had previously bounced off of the rim several times before hitting the floor. She was mid throw on attempt #2 when a sudden voice startled her, making her aim nonexistent.

"What are you doing?" The voice had asked her. A twinge of annoyance reached Touko's expression.

"I'm playing a game" she snapped, crawling over to retrieve the ball.

"Does my presence bother you?" The King asked.

"I don't know, seeing as you're not actually here"

"Remember what happened last time I was in the same room as you?" N questioned. There was no bitterness in his tone; he was just simply stating a fact.

"…" Touko crossed her arms over her chest and rolled her eyes in annoyance. She puffed out a hot breath of air in exasperation, and suddenly became interested in the quality fabric of her jumpsuit.

"I understand that you want to discuss some things?" N said, drawing her attention back to him.

"Yes" Touko said firmly, returning her eyes back to the camera with a challenging glare.

"You may begin"

"I'd rather do this in person" Touko quipped. Silence filled the air.

"I have a meeting soon" N said after the longest time.

"I'll wait" Touko replied automatically.

"Alright" The King agreed slowly. "Someone will be by with a food tray soon"

Touko placed a hand on her stomach, suddenly aware that her last meal was right before the battle. As if agreeing with him, her stomach growled loudly.

"If that's all-"

"What time is it?" Touko interrupted, internally griping for having to depend on him for something as simple as telling time.

"Quarter to seven" He replied, somewhat amused by her question. Not that Touko noticed. "I must be going" he added before he cut off.

Touko waited impatiently for dinner, scarfing down the two halves of a sandwich before sighing at her insatiable hunger. She finished the last of the food on her tray before gulping down some water. She wiped her mouth on the sleeve of her jumpsuit before crawling into her bed and curling up under the covers, falling asleep within minutes of her head hitting the pillow.


	3. Chapter 3

"Ahem" a voice startled Touko awake. She had been dreaming about her home, her mom, her friends… Instead of her brightly decorated room, however, she found the empty black and white cell. And N standing within it.

Normally, his presence would have made her anger soar; but she was just too tired to care.

"Sorry to wake you. This is the only free moment I'll have for a while. I thought it best to meet now" N said softly. He stayed standing about five feet from her, donned in his crown and long, red robe. Touko sat up and went to stand face to face with him. She got a surprise when she walked right into an invisible wall about a foot from her bed.

"Shit!" she swore while clutching her sore nose.

"I should have warned you. My apologies" N said.

"It's fine." Touko grumbled, though it was anything but.

"Shall we begin?" he asked calmly.

"I want to call my mother." She said first, feeling especially homesick after her dream. "Giving me anything less than a phone call would be even worse than any other prison"

"Fair enough" N agreed easily, which surprised Touko. She had thought that it would have been harder to get anything from him. She narrowed her eyes wearingly and gave him a onceover.

"What about my friends?" Touko added, testing her luck. The King furrowed his brows at this.

"One phone call" he said sternly, holding up a finger for emphasis. He watched with the same stoic expression as Touko's face twitched in annoyance. "Is there anything else?"

"I want my own bathroom"

The King let a small sigh pass his lips. "That would require a change of rooms. Even if I were to have someone install a plumbing system, you'd have to move rooms for several days and I wouldn't be able to observe you"

_Maybe this will be harder than I thought_. Touko rethought. "What about a TV or something?"

"A 'TV'?" N questioned.

"You know; a television set? I'm bored down here. Playing with that ball of tape has been the most entertaining thing in this room"

"Basketball, wasn't it?" He smoothly averted answering the question. "I used to play basketball all of the time with the Pokémon my father used to bring me…" The King trailed off.

"Are you trying to _relate_ to me? We're two completely different people!" Touko abhorred.

"In truth, we are not that much different" The King frowned slightly.

Touko stayed silent, arms crossed unimpressed over her chest, staring at the King with a vacant expression. "Where are my Pokémon?"

The King's lips grew taut, already expecting this question to surface again. "They've been released"

"What?" Touko said, dropping her hands to her sides, face suddenly concerned. "You didn't"

"They were released the night of our battle." N said inexpressively. "After they were fully healed, of course"

"They weren't yours to release!" Touko shouted hysterically.

"It's for the best-"

"Stop thinking you know what's best for everyone!" Anger managed to find Touko after all; she placed her forearms against the invisible wall and began pounding on it. N watched her curiously.

"Is this what you want to observe, N?!" she shouted in between poundings. When he made no attempt to answer, she added "WELL?!"

"I must be going" he said quickly, already on his way to the exit. Touko still pounded uselessly on the invisible wall, looking much like a madwoman. The King hesitated only once, glancing back at Touko, who was now curled up in a ball against the invisible wall, back facing him. As soon as he walked through the wall, the invisible wall dissolved, causing the brunette to fall back.

"Bastard! You bastard, N!" she repeatedly muttered to herself as she lay on her sore back.

* * *

The next week had been hard on Touko both mentally and physically. In protest, she had become completely withdrawn after hearing that her Pokémon were released; she wouldn't eat anything off of the trays of food they gave her; she slept all day. She wouldn't even leave her cell unless absolutely necessary.

The King had requested hourly updates on her since this behavior had begun, much to his father's disliking.

"Just let her be!" he scolded his son. "Let her rot! She shouldn't be a priority!"

N had endured his father's complaints silently. There was still so much to learn from the ex-hero.

"Or have you forgotten about your duties? Forgotten about the Pokémon?" Ghetsis asked, snapping N's attention back.

"Never." N said sternly. "I'm simply adding to my knowledge of people. If I can understand how these kinds of people work, I will be able to relate to them; get them to see that our cause is for the best" The King covered smoothly. "It's all a part of the plan"

"Hmpf" Ghetsis grumbled in response. "Don't let it distract you from your real work" he said before exiting.

"Triad!" The older man called while walking through the halls. Three white haired figures knelt before him. "Send the Goddesses to fetch her. Send her to my quarters"

The three figures stood and nodded in unison before vanishing.

* * *

"Miss Touko, you've been requested" Concordia said quietly. When Touko didn't move from her bed, the two Goddesses dragged her by the arms.

"Have you been eating?" Anthea asked, though she already knew the answer. The teen's face had already begun to hollow, and dark circles began forming under her eyes.

"You'll never heal if you don't take care of yourself" Concordia said with a frown.

Touko just stared vacantly as they led her through the halls.

"We ought to clean her before her audience" Anthea muttered to Concordia.

"I'll go run a bath" Concordia said, going ahead of them into the monstrous bathroom while Anthea struggled to move Touko by herself.

Soon they stripped the teen and helped her into the bath. They gently washed her, sometimes exchanging pitiful looks at one another.

Touko thought nothing of this or anything else however. Her mind felt numb. Even when stark naked in the tub she felt nothing.

Once she was made presentable, the Goddesses dragged her to a part of the castle that she hadn't previously seen. It looked like any other corridor, except for the big set of black steel doors at the end of the hall.

A few feet from the door stood the Triad. Touko's curiosity rose in the back of her mind, though she didn't express it. The Goddesses handed her off to the Triad, who grabbed her under each arm and hauled her easily through the black doors.

They sat her down in a chair across a desk much like N's. On the opposite side sat his father. With a wave of Ghetsis' hand, the Triad disappeared, leaving just the two of them.

"So happy that one of the _legendary_ heroes could make time for me" Ghetsis said with a bit of laughter as Touko glared at him. "Your behavior the last few days has become… worrisome; for some, that is." He waited a moment, seeing if she would react. When she didn't, he continued. "Personally, I couldn't care less about what happens to you; however, your shift in behavior has become troubling to the King"

At that, Touko's eyes lifted the smallest bit in surprise, and her lip curved slightly upward. "As you can imagine, that draws attention from his other duties. So, I propose you either start acting like yourself or just end your miserable life."

Touko's face scrunched in annoyance. "Is that a threat or a command?" she rasped out.

"Think of it more as… a friendly suggestion." Ghetsis said, an unpleasant smile forming on his face.

"Tch" she scoffed before returning to her impassive state.

"Perhaps you need some incentive; I'll let you in on a little secret" He said, lowering his voice as he drew nearer to her. She wished she could have moved from him, but soon he stood behind her, lips right by her ear "You won"

Touko went rigid in her seat. Her blood ran cold, and her heart now beat so fast that she could barely hear Ghetsis over the sound of it.

"That's right; you rightfully won the match between you and N"

As Ghetsis' words processed in her brain, Touko slowly began emerging from her stupor.

"Of course, that would have interfered with his dream; so I intervened. Tell me: how does it feel to know that you've been bereaved of your victory?"

Touko wished now that she had eaten something; had she not felt so weak, she would have knocked the man's head from his shoulders.

"Very good" he said, moving to sit back at his desk as she shot the most. "I believe we're done here." As soon as he finished speaking, the Triad grabbed Touko by the arms and dragged her from the room before she could do much of anything. Moments later she was in her cell, pacing the floor.

_She had won… She had won! She knew it! _No one would believe her now if she told. She had to expose the fraudulent King and his father; but how? Tomorrow he would be giving his speech, declaring Unova a Pokémon free nation. Perhaps if she got on the King's good side… No… Ghetsis would never allow that…

Not unless the King suggested it. If she could make it seem like she were to be on his side…

But if she acted all buddy-buddy with him now he'd grow suspicious… And there's no guarantee that he'd take her with him anyway…

Touko proceeded to work through the details while continually pacing the floor. For the first time in days she had felt something.

She stopped pacing and stared right at the camera. "I demand to see the King" she said as loud as she could manage with her raspy voice. "Anthea. Concordia."

She began pacing again in anticipation. Who knew if anyone was even watching? And even if they were, who lets a prisoner demand anything?

Then again… N did.

Touko looked up in the midst of her pacing when she heard the sound of footsteps. Relief washed over her when she saw the Goddesses appear.

"Master N is in a meeting" Anthea said.

"What do you need?" Concordia asked.

"I'd like something to eat." Touko said, shocking both women. "And something for my voice". "Please" she added for affect.

"Why do you wish to see the master?" Anthea asked, eyes narrowed in suspicion. Touko swallowed as much of her pride as possible; she fidgeted, kept her head low, and played with her hands.

"I-I want to apologize; for hitting him" She said in the most repentant way possible. The Goddesses' expression softened.

"We'll be right down" Anthea said.

"Thank you" Touko said with a small smile before watching them exit. She walked to her bed while waiting, hiding her shit-eating grin from the camera. _They bought it!_ Now all she had to do was convince the King…

When Anthea and Concordia returned, they brought an array of delectable foods for her to enjoy.

"Eat up" Concordia said.

"Master N will be here after his next meeting" Anthea added. Touko thanked them again before diving into all the food. The Goddesses warned her to slow down, lest she get sick from eating too fast.

When Touko's stomach was full, there was still more than half of the food they had brought her. She asked them to leave it when they took the empty platters, in case she got hungry again soon.

After they left, Touko was suddenly aware of how empty the room was. She actually missed having company other than herself.

About an hour later, the King entered the small cell. No invisible walls accompanied him this time.

"I'm glad to see you're feeling better" N said. "You were beginning to worry me"

"I was?" Touko asked incredulously, despite Ghetsis having told her as much. "I'm sorry…"

"It's alright. I understand that grieving is a rather ugly process" The King remarked thoughtfully.

Touko avoided eye contact from there on out. "I'm sorry I hit you" she said lowly.

"Pardon?"

"I-I'm sorry that I-" Touko stopped as fake tears welled up in her eyes. It wasn't as hard as she would have thought. "Crap" she said softly while 'attempting' to wipe the tears away.

N stood there awkwardly, eyeing the teary-eyed female. It pleased Touko to know that she could make him uncomfortable.

"I s-shouldn't have h-hit you!" she balled, aborting wiping her eyes completely. She held her face in her hands and sat on her bed and mumbled incoherently. She went as far as gasping and choking for air, which soon turned real. Touko clutched her sore midsection and ran for the wastebasket. She purged a few times, nothing emptying from her stomach. Once her breathing slowed, she was left lightheaded. She knelt in front of the wastebasket, half leaning on it for support.

"Are you alright?" N asked, kneeling beside her. Touko slowly moved her head side to side.

"I probably just ate too much" she strained to get out.

"I'll call Anthea" he said. Within minutes she and Concordia were down there, helping Touko to her bed and watching over her.

"She's warm" Anthea assessed as her hand rested on the teen's forehead.

"It'd be best for you to leave, Master" Concordia suggested. "You wouldn't want to get sick before your big announcement"

N muttered something lowly to Concordia before leaving. She whispered it to Anthea, who was hovering over Touko. She wasn't exactly sure, but it sounded like she said to "Keep Master N updated".


	4. Chapter 4

As fate would have it, Touko did end up sick. Due to the lack of food she had been digesting, plus the amount she rapidly ate, the teen had made herself sick. She stayed in bed after the King left, fighting off chills, nausea, headaches, etc. Anthea and Concordia had stayed with her all night, switching off every few hours so one of them could sleep.

She frequented the bathroom, much to both Goddesses' disliking. The girl had vomited thrice within the past two hours. At one point she actually stayed in the bathtub with one of the Goddesses watching her while the other cleaned her cell. They had removed the excess food, changed the sheets and sterilized it.

Now she was back in her cell, lying under a fresh pair of sheets and wearing a new jumpsuit.

"…Stop… no…my…poke…mon…" The girl murmured restlessly in her sleep. A rag sat atop of her feverish forehead. Anthea watched her carefully while Concordia was taking a break. She actually felt sorry for the girl. Her immediate dislike of her fluctuated, reaching an all-time high when she had hit the King, that was a record breaking low at the sight of her now.

Anthea noticed a shiver run through the girl and asked her Pokémon to grab some more blankets. When they arrived, she quickly covered the girl, who despite her shivers, was sweating.

"Mom…?" she stirred under the woman's touch. Anthea felt a strange sense of nostalgia wash over her. She hadn't done anything like this since the Master was young. Her eyelids fluttered, struggling to open.

"Shh…" The Goddess soothed. "Go back to sleep"

"How is she?" Concordia asked quietly, entering the room.

"She's still feverish, but she's sleeping at least" Anthea replied.

"I'll alert the Master" Concordia said, pulling out her Pokémon.

"Please tell the Master of Miss Touko's condition" Concordia told the Psychic type. It called its name once before teleporting out of the room. "You should get some rest, Anthea." The blond Goddess said, placing a hand on the pink haired Goddess' shoulder.

Anthea sighed tiredly before standing from her chair and giving a small nod of her head to the other Goddess. She disappeared from the cell with the aid of her Pokémon and Concordia took her spot. She changed the rag on the teen's forehead, placing a nice, cool one in place of the warm one.

"N…" The teen muttered, to the Goddess' surprise. She strained to hear what else the girl had said, but she began muttering something too incoherent after that.

Concordia looked at the sick girl with pitiful eyes. She was much like a sick Pokémon; small, helpless. Concordia watched beads of sweat begin to form on the girl's forehead as she tossed and turned. She cried out a few times in her sleep, tears streaming from her eyes.

"No! I won't let you take them!" The teen suddenly shouted, slightly scaring the Goddess. "Stop! Let me go!" she continued, now thrashing under the covers, her body almost convulsing. She was having a nightmare.

"Miss Touko! Wake up!" the Goddess spoke loudly while trying to restrain the girl, lest she hurt herself further. No matter what she did, the girl wouldn't wake. "Gardevoir!"

The Psychic Pokémon materialized instantly near its master. "Use Dream Eater, quickly!"

The Pokémon nodded before performing the move. Slowly the teen began to relax, until she stopped thrashing completely. "Miss Touko" Concordia said, shaking the teen's shoulder roughly.

"-Huh?-" The teen startled awake, immediately bringing herself to a sitting position. Concordia inwardly sighed in relief. Touko's face was wet with sweat and tears, and her shortened hair was everywhere.

"You were having a nightmare" Concordia said softly, as she begun to gently fix the girl's hair back into place. "Arceus knows what could have happened if I hadn't woken you up".

Once again, tears began falling from Touko's eyes and she clung to the older woman. Touko cried loudly into her shoulder, much to the Goddess' surprise. Her maternal instincts kicked in automatically, and she began trying to soothe the girl.

"Shh… it's alright…" she cooed softly while rubbing her back. A strange feeling had washed over Concordia as well; Touko much reminded her of a child. Then again, she still _was_ a child. Perhaps treating her like a common criminal was too much for the younger girl. The Master himself was only going to be nineteen. Perhaps she could arrange… No. That would interfere with the Master's study. And Sage Ghetsis would never approve.

Once Touko had calmed down, Concordia took her to the bathroom and called Anthea to clean the room again. Touko's fever had broken during her nightmare, and sweat drenched the poor girl's body. She quickly helped the teen shower and change before helping her back to her cell.

"You should rest up" Concordia suggested. The teen feebly shook her head.

"I don't think I can. And I don't want to have another nightmare" Touko shuddered at the memory. "Anyway, I'm fine now. You should go rest"

"I couldn't possibly. My task is to make sure you are alright"

"I'm fine now. My stomach has settled, and you're dead tired" the teen rebutted, despite having dark circles under her own eyes. "You and Anthea have done so much for me already…"

"Alright" Concordia said reluctantly. "If you need anything-" The Embrace Pokémon suddenly appeared before the two women "-Gardevoir shall tend to you"

"I'll be alright" Touko reassured. The Goddess nodded before leaving. Touko lay back on her bed, shuddering at the memory of the dream:

_Touko stood in the King's throne room again during her final battle with N. This time however, she watched it from an outsider's perspective. Everything played out as if she weren't there at all. Her heart sunk as she was forced to relive the battle, her victory, and her losing her Pokémon._

_Two Shadow Triad members gripped her under each arm. Touko flailed her legs aimlessly, but she was not released. The third avoided her legs easily, stripping her of her Pokémon._

_"__Hey!" Touko protested. "Give me them back!" She kicked even harder, even hitting one of the Triad once._

_"__No! I won't let you take them!"Touko screamed at the scene before her uselessly. "Stop! Let me go!"she added, trying to pry the Triad members from her past self. Her hands went right through the members and the entire scene vanished. She was surrounded by blackness now. She couldn't see anything. Her arms and legs suddenly felt like they were bound together and a terrifying hiss sounded. It steadily grew louder until it covered up the sound of her own terrified screams. _

_Suddenly something emerged from the plunging darkness. Something Touko had never seen before. A white smoke-like piece covered its small head that only showed one blue eye. A spiky red appendage lay under the head. It seemed to be calling to her._

_Then everything went white._

And that's when she woke up and fled to Concordia's arms. She had no idea what the dream was supposed to mean, nor what the nearly shapeless figure was. The mere thought of the thing terrified her. She played with her hands nervously in her lap until she couldn't stand the silence anymore.

Touko sat up on the bed, facing the one of the only Pokémon she had seen in days. It was strange. "You and Concordia must be close" she said awkwardly to the Pokémon. It only stared at her. "I used to be close with a lot of my Pokémon… before they were forcibly taken and released… Do… do you think they're happier now that they're free? I've been together with some of them for months… some for years even… I don't think I drove them too hard… Maybe they resent me because I lost…I wasn't strong enough to… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ramble on…"

Surprisingly, the Gardevoir gave Touko a sympathetic look. She twirled once and Touko's eyes grew heavy. "Why are you…?" Touko got out before falling asleep from the hypnosis attack.

"Haven't you caused quite the commotion" someone snarled while stepping into the cell. Touko reluctantly peeked one eye open to find Ghetsis in it, absorbing most of the cell with his massive frame and big robes.

"What do you want?" she hissed at the man, only half awake.

"I'm here to escort you-" Ghetsis said

"Escort me where?" The teen asked, reluctant to go anywhere with him.

"-To view the King's address of course" Ghetsis said impatiently, not liking how she had interrupted him.

"He's taking me with him?" Touko asked. Ghetsis laughed a few times loudly before sneering at the girl.

"Don't be ridiculous. I'm only taking you to a room with a television before I leave. You'll be in one of the staff rooms with all of the members who do not get to come." He said, grabbing her arm roughly. He dragged her down a few corridors to a bland door that had a passcode setting. Ghetsis impatiently punched in a code and the door opened. He left after shoving her into a sea of Plasma members and explicitly saying "Make sure she watches all of it."

Touko was brought to the front; a grunt holding onto either side of her while another forcefully angled her head at the screen. She shook her head free, but remained in the grasp of the two grunts beside her. About ten minutes later, the emblem that signaled that all of Unova was required to watch the television showed. It ended after a few minutes and an image of the King appeared.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of Unova" he began. He was dressed in his robes and crown, and his voice boomed against the mass of people before him. "I am the King of Team Plasma. Today marks a new day in history; after today, it will be illegal to own Pokémon." He paused as outbursts of protests audibly sounded. Lines of Plasma members stood in protective gear between the unruly crowd and the King.

He let it continue for a few minutes before a mighty roar silenced the crowd. Behind N now stood Reshiram. The legendary dragon looked menacing, as if challenging anyone to oppose it.

"All Pokémon shall be liberated. I have defeated the Champion and the Hero. My ruling is absolute. Reshiram has chosen me to lead a new era of peace; an era where Pokémon can live freely without worrying about being enslaved. An era where we can be equals." He paused again briefly, the large crowd remaining silent this time. "You have until 12:00 AM to release your Pokémon. Failure to do so will result in immediate retribution."

The Unova emblem appeared again before the TV was shut off completely. All of the Plasma members around Touko cheered, even the ones who had their hold on her. She took this to slip away from the ones restraining her, and made a b-line for the door. She reached it and flung herself outside of the room. She rested her back on outside of the door to catch her breath.

A thought struck her then: if most of the grunts were in one area, and the higher ups were with the King, who would stop her from escaping?

Touko began running lightly on the balls of her feet. The grunts must have been too busy celebrating to have noticed that she wasn't in their possession anymore. Touko stopped and hastily entered a room with a door labeled "Storage". Mountains of boxes crowded the confined space, ranging from weapons to office supplies.

Touko dove further into the room, finding a box in the back labeled "uniforms". She quickly opened it, revealing brand new uniforms in a neatly folded array of sizes. She slipped one on over her jumpsuit and grabbed a stun gun from one of the weaponry boxes. She casually left the storage room and headed back to the staff room.

Touko was sweating profusely in the back of the room. If she was to escape, she would have to create a diversion first. Most grunts had never heard her speak before, but if one of them recognized her…

She waited a few moments before shouting over the cheering, grabbing everyone's attention. "HEY! Where's the prisoner?!" The cheering stopped immediately and all eyes turned to her. She did her best to look frenzied. "Weren't you two in charge of her?" she pointed to the two grunts who had restrained her.

"How could you let her go?!" One grunt was quick to turn on the other.

"Me?! You let go too!" the grunt rebutted. A verbal argument broke out, shifting the attention from Touko to them.

"You two pansies can worry about that later!" Someone shouted over the bickering grunts.

"We have to split up and find that girl!" another one added. Chaos broke out as everyone scattered out of the room.

_Perfect. Now all I have to do is walk out of the door…_

Touko walked out of the staff room and was immediately pulled aside.


	5. Chapter 5

"What search group are you in?" someone asked her. It was a man not much older than herself with grey eyes and hair many shades darker. He was much taller than herself, and looked much stronger too.

"I- uh- haven't been assigned one" Touko lied.

"You'll be with me" the man said. "My name's Raz. Who are you?"

"Bianca" Touko replied instantly. She felt slightly guilty for using her best friend's name, but she couldn't use her own.

"Do you have any Pokémon on you?" Raz asked. She shook her head 'no'. "I see. Stick very close to me. We'll be exploring the first floor near the entrance" He began walking and Touko followed him absentmindedly. She couldn't believe the dumb luck she was having.

"How come you asked if I had any Pokémon?" Touko asked intrigued. Wasn't everyone, even Team Plasma forced to release them?

"You look tough. I thought they might have entrusted you with one" He replied not looking back. He stopped in front of a door. "Ladies first" he said, allowing Touko to go in front of him. She walked into a dimly lit room, Raz following behind her. She turned around to see him towering over her.

"What is the meaning of this?! I thought we were going to the first floor!" Touko protested.

"That was merely for show" Raz replied. He took something out of his pocket. It was a pokéball. "Lucario" he said lowly. A Pokémon Touko hadn't seen before materialized. It formed a small blue sphere of light between its hands that illuminated the room just enough for Touko to make out Raz's features. Touko said nothing, fearing what might happen if she did.

"I apologize for meeting like this… Touko" Raz said smoothly. Touko's eyes widened at the sound of her name. "I needed to isolate you"

"How do you know my name?" Touko questioned "What do you want with me?"

"I need to talk with you" Raz said. Touko eyed his Pokémon nervously, wondering what kind of a conversation they'd be having. Raz noticed this and said "Don't mind him. He won't harm you. He's here for light"

After eyeing the Pokémon warily a few seconds longer, Touko said "You said you wanted to talk, so talk" her glare returning to Raz.

"I know you were planning on escaping; I want to help you" Touko's expression shifted from one of shock to a cynical one in a fraction of a second.

"Why would you help me?" she drawled out slowly.

"Isn't it obvious?" he said with a wide smile. "I am not a real member of Team Plasma" he added with a bit of laughter.

"How do I know I can trust you?" Touko speculated, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You don't" Raz said, returning to his serious state. "It depends on whether or not you want your freedom"

"Are you threatening me?" Touko snarled, narrowing her eyes simultaneously.

"Not in the least bit." Raz said. He held his hands up in front of him lightly, as if he were approaching a scared animal. "I want you to escape as well. I just need your help before you leave"

"Tell me then; if you're not a member, who are you?"

"I come from another region" Raz said. "I came here after I got wind of something stirring in Unova"

"What region?" Touko pushed. "And how did you hear about it if most of the region hasn't known until today?"

"That's not important" he said with a wave of his hand. "I've come to expose Team Plasma. That is what you want as well?"

"Yes" Touko said slowly, still distrustful of this man. "But why do you need me?"

"I need someone to extract information from Team Plasma" Raz said.

"Isn't that what you're doing?" Touko said with a frown.

"I've only joined recently. I didn't even get to see the speech in person. Someone of my status in a group like this would never be trusted with high clearance. I need to rise in the ranks. And while I do that, I need you to get information"

"How do you suppose I do that?" Touko asked.

"The easiest way would be to get to their King." Raz said. "He has a fascination with you. If you could get close enough to him-"

"Uh-uh. No way" Touko protested. "Have you lost your mind?!"

"For this to work, you'd have to earn the King's trust." Raz argued. "I know it's not ideal, but we all must make sacrifices."

"…" Touko stayed quiet and averted her eyes from Raz. She knew it was in her best interest to help him.

"You swear to help me?" she said after the longest time.

"After you've found something big enough to expose them, then I will help you escape" he said with a nod of his head for affirmation.

"Alright" Touko said. "I don't know how, but I'll do it"

"One more thing" Raz said. "You must be caught right now, and I must be the one to catch you" He paused. "You understand that you will have to face punishment for trying to escape?"

"Yes" Touko said. "Let's just get this over with" she added, beginning to strip herself of her plasma uniform. Raz was facing the door, his ear resting against it. The strange foreign Pokémon was out of sight.

"The coast is clear. Run down the hall, and I'll come after you" Raz said. He backed away and Touko slipped from the room. About five seconds later, Raz was chasing her at full speed, shouting that he had found the prisoner. Five more seconds passed, and Touko was face-first on the ground after being tackled by Raz. She struggled as hard as she could after the wind had been knocked from her.

Grunts surrounded them, arms bared. Cheers for Raz echoed throughout the hall, and he hauled Touko to her feet.

"I'll be taking her by the King's office. You all should clean this place up before the King gets back" Raz said as he dragged her along behind him, and a small group of grunts followed. "Get back to work! Straighten this place up before they return!" he yelled, scattering the grunts that had followed him. His grip loosened on Touko, but he stayed completely silent as to keep up appearances.

"I apologize for the tackle" Raz said lowly under his breath once they were outside of the office. He glanced at her and saw a purple mark beginning to form on her cheek.

"It's fine" Touko sighed, leaning against the wall. "I've had worse"

"They should be returning any moment…" Raz said. Within ten minutes, two prominent green-haired figures in robes appeared down the hall. Once in range, the older of the two spoke.

"What is she doing here?! She should be back in her cell by now!" Ghetsis growled.

"There was an incident, Great Sage Ghetsis" Raz said smoothly. His grip on Touko tightened again. "After the announcement, she tried to make a run for it."

Touko gave the most spiteful glare that she could muster to Raz before looking to see what expression the King wore. As usual, it was blank.

"Is that so?" the King said. "Bring her to my office"

The doors opened, allowing the two green-haired men to enter. Following them was Raz and Touko. N sat at his desk and Raz literally threw Touko to the ground. She rubbed her sore wrists while on her knees.

"Excellent work. You're dismissed" Ghetsis said to Raz, who saluted the older man before leaving. He turned to his son, completely ignoring the fact that Touko was in the room. "You see what happens when you go too easy on prisoners? They retaliate! Try to escape!" Ghetsis' voice rose the more he scolded. "And if she had escaped? This little social experiment could have cost you your dream!"

"Enough, Father" N said, silencing him with a wave of his hand. "I understand the error of my ways"

"Good. Perhaps maybe you'll take my suggestions" Ghetsis said. "I happen to know many ways to keep unruly inmates in line" he said, glancing at Touko who froze in fear.

"That won't be necessary" N said. "You're excused, Father"

Surprisingly the older man didn't argue. "Don't make any rash decisions" he warned before leaving the office.

"You can relax. You will not be mistreated" N said. Oddly, it calmed Touko down enough to the point where she could move on her own. She stood up, facing the King. "You are quite the rebellious type" he said, vigilantly watching her.

"Well excuse me for wanting my freedom" Touko snapped.

"It is logical for you to want that" N said. "However, given the circumstances…" he paused and angled his head a bit. "I believe a change in oversight is necessary" Touko stayed silent, never breaking eye contact with the King. "I see three plausible options: 1. you stay as you are, and your security gets increased. This would mean even less freedom, say, handcuffing you to your bedpost. 2. I listen to my father's advice and take up the task of taming you. Or 3. As you once suggested, I personally watch you"

Touko's mouth opened slightly as if she was going to say something, but she didn't. The look the King gave her was expecting.

"What are you looking at?" Touko said somewhat aggressively.

"The choice is yours. Choose one" N said.

"You can't expect me to just-"

"I do, and you will" he said more stiffly. "Preferably quickly. I have a meeting in ten minutes"

Touko weighed the options in her mind. On one hand, if she agreed to let him personally watch her, it would be easier to get close to him. But would he suspect anything from her willingness? And if she decided to go back to her cell…

"You can't send me back to my cell, otherwise your experiment would be pointless" Touko concluded aloud. "And you already said that you wouldn't harm me… So the second option is out too…" Realization hit Touko like a slap in the face. "You were planning on watching me personally no matter what I chose, weren't you?"

"Impressive" He said.

"You were trying to make me believe that I had a choice" Touko stated. She felt slightly sick to her stomach at the thought of the idea.

"Precisely" The young King said. He stood from his desk now, and began walking around it. "Come now. We have a meeting to attend" he said. He walked past her, not watching behind him to see if Touko followed. Touko stared blankly in slight bewilderment at the retreating image of his backside. She slipped from her stupor and began following him. Tricking someone as smart as N was going to be hard to do…

* * *

The meeting had been brief. It was between N and a reporter for a local news station, setting up an interview for a later date. The reporter didn't so much as give Touko a onceover.

After the meeting, Touko followed N to his office, where he proceeded to do paperwork. Every so often he would glance at Touko, who sat tiredly in a chair across from him. Her legs were crossed so her feet were off of the ground and she rested one her head on one hand. She glanced through half closed eyes at the clock that lay on the desk, which read 11:23.

Touko involuntarily yawned loudly, grabbing the King's attention. "I am almost finished" he said, not looking up from his documents. "These papers must be filed by tonight"

Slowly, Touko grew more and more sleepy, until she finally fell asleep. N finished reviewing his final paper at around 12:03. He stacked it with the rest neatly before staring at Touko. Her body was hunched over in the chair; her head hung free, arm no longer supporting it. Half of her face was hidden by her hair, but the other half looked calm.

Gently, N untangled her legs, careful not to wake her. Her hunched form fell into him. He readjusted so that she now rested in his arms, head in the crook of his neck, arms dangling limply as he held her against his chest, and legs loosely fastened around his waist.

It was odd, to him, how someone with so much anger and vivacity could be so physically small. She was about half of his size. N thought of this as he walked with Touko back to his room.

Sure he could have had the Triad or the Goddesses take care of Touko; but this way, the King got to observe her up close with all of her defenses down.

* * *

**Who is this Raz? Can he be trusted? We'll find out! Please share this story with any fellow ferrishwheelshippers that you know! Reviews welcome!**


	6. Chapter 6

The first thing Touko registered that morning was her back aching. Then she noticed the high quality of the fabric she was resting on. It felt soft and plush between her fingers, much unlike the thin cotton sheets she had in her cell and even the ones she had at home.

Touko opened her eyes to a dark, unfamiliar room. The warmth of someone's hand encased her own. She trailed her eyes down her arm to her hand to the other hand and its owner.

"Good morning" N said politely. Touko sat up, immediately retracting her hand.

"What the hell are you doing?!" She shrieked. "How long have you been watching me for?!"

"All night, naturally"

"All night!" Touko repeated loudly. "Why didn't you sleep? Why were you grabbing my hand?!"

"You look so different while asleep. I wanted to observe you" N said. "As for the hand, it was you who reached out to me"

"Bullshit" Touko argued, refusing to believe that she would voluntarily reach for him.

"You may think what you like; you began muttering on your sleep, and when I came nearer, you grabbed onto me. I believe you might have been having a nightmare"

Touko tried to think back to last night, but if she had any nightmares, they were faded from her mind now. "Don't you have work or something to do?" Touko flustered.

"I cancelled this morning's schedule" he said. "As you can imagine, staying up all night is tiring" he paused. "Anthea and Concordia will help you get presentable downstairs while I rest"

"I thought you were going to watch me personally all of the time" Touko scoffed.

"I was going to offer privacy, but if you'd rather I help you-"

"Never mind!" Touko said. Her face flushed, and she pulled the blankets up to her neck, despite wearing the buttoned jumpsuit. A knock at the door caught both teens' attention.

"Good morning, Master" The Goddesses said in unison. N turned to greet them, revealing Touko to their line of sight. Both women paled at the sight of her position, in the King's bed, under his covers.

"Master N..." Concordia said first.

"Your father is not going to like this" Anthea stated.

"I will handle that later" N said. "If you could please take Touko and get her cleaned up" Touko flinched at how casually the sound of her name flowed from the King's lips. It sounded strange.

"Of course" Anthea said, stepping forward to retrieve Touko. She crawled from underneath the covers to meet the Goddess, who took hold of her wrist in an iron grip. Then the three women left the king by himself, so he could rest.

Anthea acted rather roughly with Touko: throwing items to her instead of handing them to her, yanking especially hard on her hair while brushing it, gripping her roughly when in the hallways. Touko figured it was from her attempted escape. The woman was keen on being grateful.

Touko endured her silent wrath until she was returned to the King's room about an hour later. When they entered, Ghetsis stormed from it, shooting Touko a nasty look. N sat on the bed looking drained, which prompted the Goddesses to ask if he required assistance.

He refused and dismissed the women, leaving just him and Touko.

"He looked happy" Touko said, alluding to Ghetsis.

"He is not pleased with the new arrangement" N said, now lying down on the bed, eyes closed. "Or the fact that I am taking the day off"

"He doesn't seem to like me" Touko said placidly, not knowing why she wanted to bother him with conversation right now.

"He loathes you" N deadpanned. "If you could please be quieter" Touko waited a few minutes before bothering him again.

"Didn't you rest while I was gone?" Touko asked, despite it being evident that he hadn't. The King exhaled loudly in annoyance once.

"I realize you are trying to get a rise out of me" he said. "Do not push me to have someone silence you"

"..." Touko knew it was most likely an empty threat, but she didn't want to leave anything to chance. She also didn't want to set back the plan.

"So you're just going to sleep?" she asked quietly.

"That is what I had in mind"

"And leave me here?"

"Yes"

Touko remained silent, allowing N to sleep. She figured he most likely had someone near the door, guarding it. Once she was sure he was asleep, she cracked the door. The back of a grunt was visible. She shut the door again, and sat in the chair N had been sitting in in the morning.

She initially gave the sleeping King a hard look. She wanted to wish that bad things would happen to him; but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't do it.

He looked peaceful; almost as if he were a completely different person. His face was blank, but not in its usual way. It was more relaxed. His lips were slightly parted, the way a child's might be. It was captivating. It was no surprise that he tended to be popular with his supporters; especially of the female variety. His hair also looked soft despite it being a slightly dirty mess of tangles. Touko was tempted to touch it, but she restrained herself.

Touko stood up and began pacing the room. She felt weird. She'd never had these kinds of thoughts about anyone before. Her face flushed and the room suddenly felt impossibly hot to Touko. She walked across the room to a door and opened it. It was luckily a bathroom, and she entered. She unfastened her jumpsuit enough to let some air through and ran some cold water in the sink. She grabbed a nearby hand towel and began dabbing herself with it once it was full of cold water.

Once Touko calmed down she placed the wet towel in the sink and straightened herself out. She took a few more deep breaths and gave herself another look-over in the mirror. Her reflection didn't seem to be her own.

Deciding that a distraction was necessary, Touko shamelessly opened the King's medicine cabinet. Inside were only standard items: toothpaste, a toothbrush, some mouthwash, bandages and some assorted ointments. She thought it odd that he had no items that were more personal for young men. Her face immediately reddened again and she slammed the cabinet shut.

Touko exited the bathroom, returning to her seat next to the King. A frightening thought occurred to her then: if she failed to escape, this is what the rest of her life would be like. She shivered involuntarily at the thought. She had to start making little changes to her behavior to ease into a personality change. She'd start off small: like trying to not purposely irritate him.

A rustling caught her attention and Touko glanced at N. He shifted slightly from his original sleeping position. He was now on his side, his back to her. Touko looked around the room, spotting a classic looking clock on the wall. It was just past noon. Her stomach let out a roar in hunger. Not knowing what else to do, Touko poked the sleeping Beartic.

"N..." she whispered between pokes. He looked so peaceful that she almost felt bad. He slept like a Crustle. Growing tired and hungrier, Touko leaned near his ear. "N" she said louder than before.

"Mmm" he replied.

"I'm hungry" Touko half-whined. She backed up a bit, rolling the sleeves of her jumpsuit down as she did so.

"What time is it?" N muttered sleepily.

"Almost 12:30"

"My apologies" N said.

"For what?" Touko asked bewildered. The King took his time responding, first sitting up and stretching.

"Neglecting your basic needs" N drawled slowly while rubbing his eyes.

"… It's okay…" Touko said quietly.

"Give me a few minutes to clean up" N said, standing up and strolling over to the bathroom. Ten minutes later, he came back out in nothing but a towel. Touko glanced at him once from the corner of her eye and turned scarlet. She averted her eyes and shut them tightly together to ensure that she wouldn't see anything.

"Um" she said nervously.

"Yes?" N said, a slight shuffling noise in the background. "Does this make you uncomfortable?" he concluded. Touko nodded her head a few times in response. "You can open your eyes" he said after some more rustling.

N was staring at her, which made Touko feel ashamed. "What?" she said defensively.

"Just making an observation" N said, face remaining neutral. "We should be going" he said walking past her.

"Whatever" Touko grumbled while following him out of the room. She stuck close behind him as they twisted down several corridors. N led the way through two big doors, revealing a spacious ballroom behind them. Touko stared in awe at the ornate décor: everything was draped in gold and marble and emerald. An immaculate chandelier hung high on the dome-like ceiling. Touko was so enraptured by the aesthetic that she bumped into the King, who had stopped walking.

"Sorry" Touko mumbled half-heartedly while still gazing around the room. She was so distracted that she had forgotten that she was even hungry

"Ahem" N said, pulling her attention back. "Have a seat" Before them sat a long wooden table with one place setting neatly set at the head of the table. N sat there and Touko sat to his right. Within minutes they were being waited on, and Touko now had a place setting.

"What shall it be today, Master?" the Plasma members mused.

"Something light for myself" N said politely "And something small, yet filling for my-" he paused, briefly making eye contact with the other teen "guest". The members assured everything would be done in no time before scurrying back to the kitchen.

"You didn't call me a prisoner" Touko stated.

"Correct" N said plainly.

"Why not?" she pushed.

"I owe you no explanation" He said gruffly "Besides, you are quite the conversationalist today"

Touko frowned and raised a challenging brow "Seeing as there's actually someone to converse with, yes, I suppose I am". A small silence filled the room until the food arrived. N was brought a small bowl of soup, and Touko was brought a pile of… something on a platter.

"What the hell is this?" Touko said aloud, nudging it with her fork. It jiggled.

"It's a synthetic food supplement loaded with vitamins. The chefs must have figured it was you" N replied in between spoonfuls of soup.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Touko snarled, arms crossing over her chest again.

"Based on how little you have been eating, they probably decided that it would be best to start you off small. And build your immune system back up"

"But it looks so…" Touko struggled to find a better word, but found none "gross". The King stopped eating his soup and looked her straight in the eye.

"Are you a child? Do I have to treat you like one and feed you myself?" he questioned. Touko stared right back at him, stuck some of the supplement on her fork and ate it, all while maintaining eye contact. The King went back to his soup, and Touko begrudgingly ate the supplement, which didn't taste half bad. Touko finished before N, using her napkin to wipe her face afterwards. When he was done, N did the same and led her from the room and back upstairs. Instead of entering the bedroom though, they entered his office.

"What are we doing here? I thought you took off of work" Touko said.

"I took off the morning" N corrected. "If I was to take off an entire day, I would get buried by the workload" he clarified while sitting behind his desk, which already was covered in paperwork.

"So, now what?" Touko drawled slowly.

"You sit quietly and watch as I work"

"That doesn't seem very fun" Touko said.

N's hand stopped writing and he looked at her. "Being King is not 'very fun'" He nearly growled.

"Well neither is being your lab rat" Touko countered, placing her hands on her hips.

"If you prove to be a distraction to my work, the Sages will work for you to be removed." N said.

"Like freedom?" Touko mused.

"Like death" N said harshly. "Or isolation"

Touko wore a startled expression. She blinked a few times at N before finally taking a seat across from him silently. She fiddled with her hair as the light scraping sound signaled that N had returned to his work.

Touko slipped in and out of consciousness while N continued to work through the night. It wasn't until about 9:00 that they spoke again. It was initiated by Touko, unsurprisingly.

"Hey" She said almost dreamily, catching the King's attention. He looked up from his work.

"Yes?"

"Tonight, where are we- how are we going to sleep?" She said. A bit of pink dusted her cheeks. N sat up straight and dropped the pen from his hand, allowing him to put it thoughtfully on his chin.

"There is a couch in my room. You may sleep there" Touko nodded her head before falling back asleep.

* * *

Touko was plagued with nightmares that night. The same dark figure was in every distorted scene that played through her mind. It still seemed to be calling for her.

Its image was more solid and personified now. It seemed to be getting closer and closer with every frame.

"NO! Stay away!" Touko cried in her sleep, startling the King from his slumber. It was the third, maybe fourth time that this had occurred this night. He flipped on the lights and saw Touko thrashing from the couch. He went to go wake her, initially earning him a hit to the gut. He doubled back, placing a hand on where he was hit. After recovering, he approached her again, more cautiously this time. He stayed away from her legs and grabbed her wrists tightly.

"Wake up" he ordered. "Touko, wake!"

Touko didn't wake. But she seemed to have calmed down, just as she had every other time. N sighed letting go of the girl. If he valued any sleep tonight, he knew that he would have a lot of explaining to do tomorrow.

N gently lifted Touko off of the couch and rested her on the bed. He tucked her in before flipping the lights off and getting into bed next to her.


	7. Chapter 7

Father will not like me waking up so late N thought as he sat up slowly. It was nearing 11:00 and he had a plethora of meetings to attend.

He glanced to his right and saw Touko still resting soundly. She was facing him, hand latched onto him loosely. He carefully removed it so he could get ready, his hand lingering on hers for a moment. A dull THUD sounded as he entered the bathroom, due to the closing of the door behind him.

Touko heard said THUD and woke up for the second time in the comfortable bed of the King. She sat up and looked around the room for N. When she looked to her left all she saw was the messied covers.

We slept together in the same bed?! Touko's face flushed and she was filled with anger. Who did he think he was?!

She was ready to march into the bathroom and give N an earful when she realized: A. he could be you-know-ing. Or B. he could be showering. She backed away from the door begrudgingly and sat back on the bed, arms crossed over her chest.

The King emerged moments later, this time fully dressed. "Do you need to use the bathroom?" he asked not looking at Touko. "Otherwise we will be headed straight for the office"

Touko silently got up and quickly walked into the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind her. She didn't have her toothbrush present, so she substituted her finger to brush her teeth. She fingered her hair quickly and went to the bathroom before coming back out. Then she followed the King to his office.

She stayed silent all day, which was odd to the King. He frequently glanced at her and she always would be staring callously at anything but him. Yesterday she had been so challenging, so talkative. He would investigate further later, once all of his work was done.

* * *

Touko had been quietly pouting all day, and N intended to find out why. Once they were behind closed doors, Touko went to go lay on the couch, but N caught her wrist, preventing her from moving. She turned back to him, anger etched all over her face, but she still said nothing.

"You're going to sleep in my bed from now on" he commanded, leaving no room for argument. Touko looked like she was about to explode, but she only jerked her arm away defiantly before sitting on the couch. The King sighed before walking over and sitting next to her. "The bed is more spacious, but we could share the couch, I suppose"

Touko finally lost it and left the King with a stinging cheek.

"Who the hell do you think you are?! Ordering me to sleep in your bed like that!" Touko rampaged as N was absentmindedly still holding his cheek while listening to her ramble.

"So that is what you are upset about? That we slept together" N concluded after Touko turned away from him, once more giving him the silent treatment.

"Don't phrase it like that!" Touko hissed, turning a new shade of red. "It sounds wrong!"

"Why does it bother you so much?" N asked, leaning to the side so that he could see her expression. "I only did it to get both of us some sleep"

"What do you mean to help us sleep?" Touko said, arms crossed. She turned towards N slightly, curiosity getting the best of her.

"You had several nightmares. I could not sleep because you would scream and wake me." N explained. "Only when I made contact with you would you be silent."

Touko remained silent, turning her back fully to the King again.

"You have not answered my original question" N reminded, making Touko flush.

"It's something you do with… never mind." Touko muttered.

"With whom?" N asked firmly.

"Someone you're involved with" Touko said quickly, internally bursting into flames.

"You have a problem with intimacy?" N questioned.

"No!" Touko yelled, now face to face with the King. "What I have a problem with is being locked up under constant supervision by someone I thought was my friend but is now my captor and is treating me like an experiment and-!" Touko said in a rush but was unable to finish with anything coherent.

"So you are still upset about the deception?"

"Wha- no! I don't care! I mean-!" she ended abruptly again.

"Then why are you upset?" N pushed. "Is it your menstruation cycle?"

Touko stared at N in utter shock. She was left completely speechless by his last question. "No! It's because you frustrate me!" Touko shouted. "I used to think of you as a friend, and now I don't know what to think! You're-!" Touko cut off abruptly, not quite sure what she would say.

"I am?" N questioned.

"Never mind!" Touko said, moving further from him on the couch. "How long have I been here?"

"Exactly two weeks tomorrow" N replied, ignoring the deliberate subject change.

Two weeks? It seemed more like a lifetime. Her mother would be frantic! Her mother…

"It's been nearly two weeks and what have you learned from me?!" Touko asked emphatically, ignoring the pang in her heart from thinking of her mother.

N stayed silent for a little while, which only made Touko angrier. "You tend to get very heated when discussing things you are passionate about, showing that you are dedicated. Of course I could already tell that from where our journeys overlapped" He said first. "I know that you are uncomfortable with intimate situations, leading me to believe you are not very active sexually."

Touko openly gawked at him. "You have strong feelings for your family and your Pokémon, you loathe my father about as much as he loathes you, and depending on the situation, I either calm you down or infuriate you"

Touko was speechless. Everything he had just said was 100% true about her.

"Tell me: do you still think that this study is pointless?" N asked. Touko had quieted a bit from her rage, wracking her brain for some kind of rebuttal.

"There's still things you can't learn about through observation alone" Touko said sharply.

"Really?" The King perked up. "like what?"

"Feelings, actions-"

"Have I not been?" N interrupted. Touko sighed in frustration.

"You can observe it, but without experiencing it firsthand it's pointless!" she said, raising her voice to a shout again.

N stared at Touko thoughtfully. "I see" is all he said. The two stayed silent for a long while, eyes locked on each other as if they were having a staring contest. "We should go to bed" N finally said, standing up and offering Touko a hand. She slapped it away and got up silently, retreating to the bed and completely covering herself in blankets. She heard and felt N slide into bed next to her. After a little while, Touko stuck her head from the covers. N was facing her, eyes closed, already asleep.

Touko's heart pounded against her chest. When she had first met him, she was a bit creeped out, admittedly. Then they gradually saw each other more, and somewhere along the way she had grown fond of him. But after the Ferris wheel ride…

She only ever had one goal: to be the best. Then after all of her hard work, she gets cheated out of a life-altering win, is taken prisoner, and is left with all of these feelings.

She really wished Bianca was here. The blonde had a knack for deciphering emotions and boy troubles. Touko, on the other hand, was clueless and inexperienced, save for a kiss from her childhood friend Touya on a dare.

Quite a frustrating situation indeed. Touko thought bitterly to herself before rolling over so that her back was facing him.

* * *

Touko woke up feeling grimy. She hadn't showered in two days, and her hair was greasy. She rolled out of bed, hand falling loosely out of the King's. She undressed in the bathroom so she could use it and groaned at the sight of the red spots that decorated her underwear.

"Shit" she swore aloud before quickly undressing and hopping into the only shower available, not wanting to still be there when the King woke up. She showered quickly using the soap N had in his bathroom and wrapped a towel around herself afterwards. She stared dismally at the jumpsuit that lay on the floor. A swift knock startled her, making her grip on her towel tighten.

"May I come in?" N said, slightly muffled by the door.

"No!" Touko hissed.

"Are you indecent?"

"Yes! Have Anthea and Concordia send some clothes!" Touko said. And some other things!"

"They are gone for the day" N said. "But if it is clothing you need, I can lend you something" Seeing as it was better than returning to her dirty clothing, Touko unfavorably accepted.

"Fine" she said. She heard him move from the door and relaxed a little. A few moments later, he knocked again. Touko cracked the door open enough for one hand to fit through. Once it was met with fabric she retracted it to find an old pair of basketball shorts and a black t-shirt.

"What else was it that you needed?" N said from the other side of the door.

"Um…" Touko said bashfully. "Girl stuff" Silence filled the air a few moments.

"Give me a few minutes" Touko waited on the toilet, towel still wrapped around her body.

It can't get any worse than this Touko thought.

Another knock startled Touko and she went back towards the door. She cracked the door again, secretly grateful, and N slipped a small bag of toiletries inside. She shut the door after he retracted his hand and found all kinds of feminine products, as well as a toothbrush. She took out the necessities before slipping on the clothing N had supplied her with, surprised that they even fit her. She gathered her belongings and exited the bathroom, finding the King right near the door.

"Arceus" she said softly, dropping her laundry to place a hand over her heart. "Ever heard of personal space?" she muttered in annoyance.

"My apologies" N said, eyes raking swiftly over her body. "I will be back soon" N said, entering the bathroom as Touko kneeled on the floor to pick up the dropped items. She threw them onto a chair and sat on the bed, idly playing with her hair. N came out in his pajamas again and went to grab some clothing. He re-entered the bathroom and Touko checked the bed for any spots.

"Ahem" N said, emerging in a clean dress shirt and black slacks. "You seem to have left this in the bathroom" he said, holding up a black bra. Touko sat up and nearly burst into flames at the sight.

"Gimme that!" She exclaimed, snatching it from him. She hugged it to her chest and threw it with the rest of her things. She was now aware of how bare she felt without it on, but it was way past its expiration date.

"How do the clothes fit?" N asked casually.

"They're fine" Touko said, arms crossed protectively over her chest. "Why are Anthea and Concordia not here again?"

"Holiday"

"Holiday?" Touko reiterated with a frown.

"Half of that staff is on it I believe, seeing as it is summer" N said plainly.

"What about you?"

"A King's work is never done" he said with a small sigh. "Besides, I have meetings today. Ones that I cannot reschedule"

"Oh" Touko said. It was strange how civil they were talking to one another despite last night. "So… What about me?"

"Hm… I suppose I have no other choice but to let someone else monitor you." N said thoughtfully. "Unlike that meeting with the reporter, these are of the utmost importance." N walked over to the small bedside table and pressed a button. Minutes later, a grunt was stationed in the room to watch Touko.

"I shall see you tonight" N bid before departing, leaving just her and the grunt.

"So…" Touko said awkwardly.

"Have you found anything yet?" Raz's deep voice questioned.

"Not yet" Touko said. "He seems to know a lot more about me than I do him…"

"That needs to change" Raz said. "What have you done thus far?"

"Argue mostly…" Touko admitted.

"…" Raz said nothing while a disappointed look stayed on his face.

"What?! I'm giving it my best shot! Besides, wouldn't it make sense to seem angry with him all of the time in the beginning?"

"I suppose… But it needs to progress. I'll be on vacation for about a month. After today, we won't have contact until then. I expect some progress to be made when I get back"

"Understood" Touko said. A silence passed between them until Raz spoke again.

"So… What did you two argue about?"

"Well, my being here…" Touko said.

"Anything else?"

"Not really" Touko said. It wasn't exactly lying; it was just avoiding the entire truth, like the parts that involved them talking about how sexually inactive she is.

"Hm. So what do you do for fun in this place?" Raz said, strolling around the room.

"Nothing, honestly" Touko said, sitting on the bed.

"Yeesh" he replied, joining her on the bed. "Where do you sleep, anyhow? The couch?"

Touko flushed "Well, I used to…" She started "But now I sleep here"

"Here? As in the King's bed?" Raz said, looking at her incredulously. Touko gave a small nod. "Forget what I said; you seem to be progressing just fine".

"It's not like that!" Touko said loudly out of embarrassment. "Apparently I have nightmares… And they only go away when I'm near N"

"I see" Raz said, sounding skeptical.

The rest of the time the two shared idle chatter; some gossip here and there would surface, nothing too unusual.

The King's behavior when he returned was far from usual, however. He walked in during the middle of a very hot piece of gossip about two grunts. He froze in his spot near the door. Touko was lying down and Raz was sitting on the bed next to her.

"You are dismissed" N said stiffly to Raz, who ended the story abruptly, saluted, then left. Something about the way he watched Raz leave signaled to Touko some resentment.

"Are you alright?" Touko asked, one brow raised.

"Yes" he said turning his stare to her. It was still hardened from the look he gave Raz.

"You seem on edge" Touko said. "Well actually, you seem jealous"

"Why was he on the bed with you?" N abruptly questioned. His voice remained level, yet his tone was urgent. "And why were you so casual about it?"

"We were just talking. And it's not like I was sleeping with him." Touko said with a small frown.

"I do not like it" N said.

"Why not? It's not like he's going to interfere with the study" Oh, the irony Touko thought.

"Do you not mind being intimate with him?" N pushed, completely disregarding her question.

"I haven't been intimate with anyone!" Touko objected in horror. "Unless you consider us sleeping in the same bed intimate."

"From now on, you'll only be intimate with me" N said. She knew he meant sharing a bed, but the sentence still made her fluster.

"D-don't be ridiculous" She faltered, turning away from him. He spun her back around and grabbed her gently by the chin. For a moment she thought he was going to kiss her.

"Do I make myself clear?" he uttered, his breath stirring her hair. There were only inches separating their faces as well as the rest of them. Touko took into account how warm he was.

"Crystal" Touko said shakily. He released her and entered the bathroom. Touko shook her head, trying to snap herself out of it. The room suddenly felt colder without N making contact with her.

Damn hormones! N probably doesn't even know what kissing is!

Touko lay back on the bed in her usual spot as N came back out and slid into bed next to her. After a few minutes of silence she sheepishly said "Thanks for… today"

"You are welcome" N replied. A long period of silence passed between the two.

"N, do you know what kissing is?" Touko asked absentmindedly. She quickly covered her hand with her mouth. When he didn't answer, Touko sighed with relief, thankful that he hadn't heard her question. Then she heard:

"Yes" much to her surprise. Touko flushed.

"I thought you were raised to be innocent…" she muttered.

"Innocence is ignorance" he explained. "I am simply inexperienced"

"So you've never…?"

"No" he said. She was oddly relieved at his response. She rolled over to face him, finding him already facing her when she did. "Why does it matter?"

"Just curious" she said, propping herself up on her side. "You realize that kissing is…"

"Intimate? Yes" he said.

"Have you ever wanted to-"

The question died in the back of Touko's throat. N had leaned in and was kissing her. She froze, her eyes opened wide. It was short-lived, as he pulled away quickly.

"Does that answer your questions?" He asked. Touko was red all over.

"Goodnight!" she squeaked while rolling over again. N closed the light and they both went to sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

When Touko woke the next morning, she was sidled up next to N, one arm draped lazily across his stomach. She tried to get up, but a firm hand across her back prevented her from moving. Not wanting to be awake in this position when N was, Touko feigned sleep.

Sometime about an hour later, N woke to the sight of Touko curled up next to him. He carefully removed her from himself before entering the the bathroom to get ready. Touko, who had been awake the entire time was shocked at how gentle N was with her. She continued to lay on the bed with her eyes closed, nearly nodding off a few times.

When N came back out, Touko felt the weight of the bed shift. Nothing happened for a few moments, and Touko contemplated getting up. Then his fingers lightly grazed her face as he gently moved strands of her hair. She let it continue a little longer before opening her eyes.

"Did I wake you?" N asked, retracting his hand from her hair.

Touko sat up and stretched before looking at N and flushing. "Yes" she said, trying her best to sound mildly annoyed. She ignored his stare and quickly got up and entered the bathroom. After fixing herself up, the two headed to his office.

* * *

N sat behind two small piles of papers, which Touko made note of from her seat across from him.

"There is not much work currently. Most officials are on vacation with their families" N explained.

"So you'll be done early tonight?"

"I was planning on starting tomorrow's pile" N replied. Touko frowned.

"Why not just take the day off? Have some fun?" She asked. "I've been here over a month and all you've done is work. Take a break"

"As charming as that sounds-" N started, but was cut off by Touko.

"You won't be behind on work. C'mon" Touko pushed. N looked up from the first stack after signing the last paper.

"Father will not like it" He said after a while, returning his attention to the second stack.

"He doesn't have to know" Touko said mischievously. N said nothing. Touko groaned internally. Getting N to play hooky with her was more for her own personal enjoyment: she was bored as hell.

N finished his last paper and stacked it neatly with the others.

"Well?" Touko half-begged, leaning forward onto the desk, her arms nearly reaching his own.

N eyed her with a slight fascination. "Alright" he said. Touko couldn't help but grin. "On one condition"

"Yes?" Touko said, more wary.

"You must answer a question of mine"

"Ok" Touko said, grin wiped from her face. N's questions tended to always be a little personal for her liking.

"Did the kiss resolve your questions?"

"..." Touko should have anticipated something like this coming up again: N rarely seemed to let anything go.

"Well?"

"Yes" Touko said, face slightly pink. N stared at her, weighing the candor of her response in his mind. Touko sat rather uncomfortably under his scrutiny, but unlike the bedroom, there was nowhere to hide.

"What did you have in mind?" N finally said. Touko shrugged, happy that they were at least going to do _something_. "Follow me" he said, coming around the desk. The two went down a few floors until they reached a dark room.

It was N's old bedroom, the one Touko had slept in her first night there. N carelessly picked up the basketball that lay abandoned on the ground and bounced it a few times. It was only slightly flat, to Touko's surprise. "Care to play?" N asked.

"You're going down" Touko taunted, joining him on the small basketball court.

N began dribbling the ball with incredible skill, easily getting past Touko and making a basket.

"Am I?" He asked, retrieving the ball and tossing it to Touko. She dribbled a few times, moving slowly towards the hoop. N let her get that far, but when it came time to shoot, he towered over her, blocking her shot.

"Hey!" Touko protested. "Not fair!" N falsely swiped for the ball, allowing the brunette to shoot. It bounced off of the rim, which N caught and made a rebound. He caught and tossed the ball again, a small smile on his lips,

Touko began dribbling again only to have the ball stolen from her by N, who made another basket. Ten more shots by N later, Touko had had enough.

"Try it once more. I will not interfere" he said. N held the ball out to her with one hand. However, when Touko went to grab the ball, he held it high above his head.

"Hey!" Touko said, trying to jump up and reach it. Her hand, even when jumping, only made it halfway up N's forearm. She eventually stopped jumping and began to pout. Much to her surprise, N laughed. His face bore a smile so charming; it complimented his good looks. Touko's pout was forgotten as she stared in slight awe.

"Shall we play something else?" N asked, finally dropping the basketball. "How about darts?" he suggested. Touko shook out of her stupor and agreed, despite knowing nothing about darts. She watched as N threw his three with amazing accuracy: Every one was a bullseye. He removed the darts and handed them to Touko, who took them loosely in her hand. She took the first one and threw it with all of her might, sticking it at least a foot above the board.

"Yikes…" she said aloud.

"Would you like me to assist you?" N asked. Touko shrugged and he came behind her. "You want to hold your arm like this for better accuracy" he said, moving her arm into position with his own. "Then you just pull back and throw" he said, his hand on top of hers as he went through the motions with Touko. The dart sank right into the middle of the board. N released Touko and she again felt colder without him holding onto her.

Touko threw her last dart which made it on the board, but was nowhere near the bullseye.

"Better" N praised, retrieving the darts. Touko continued to throw them until they all were fairly close to the bullseye.

"My arm is tired" Touko said after throwing the last dart for what felt like the millionth time. "Can we do something else?"

N looked at her thoughtfully for a moment. "Would you like to learn how to skateboard?"

"You know how to skateboard?" Touko asked incredulously, despite having noticed the ramp that took up a good portion of the room. N nodded his head once.

"I would myself, but I am much too big for the skateboard" he said.

"Probably too tall, too" Touko added, pointing up at the ceiling. N gave a small boyish smile and nodded in agreement.

He set it up on the ground and motioned for Touko to stand on it. She did. "Try to move" N said. Touko did and freaked out at the sensation, making her nearly fall off of the board. The King laughed again. "Give me your hands" He said. She did and he began to pull her across the ramp.

"Don't let go!" Touko exclaimed. N just laughed and continued to hold her hands. After he thought that she was used to the sensation, he let go: was he wrong. Touko fell face first onto the ground, splitting her bottom lip. N had been laughing at her loss of balance, but as soon as she started bleeding he became protective.

"Let's go back upstairs" he said in all seriousness. He helped her to her feet and guided her by her arm gently. Once upstairs, he sat her on the toilet while he cared for her.

"Ahhhwm" Touko cried softly as a tissue was pressed to her lip.

"Sorry" N said, easing the pressure. He held it there a few more minutes before going to the cabinet and pulling out an ointment. "This may sting" he warned as he put some on his finger. Touko winced slightly at his touch, but didn't cry out. After he was done, N gave her a reassuring smile. He put the ointment away and when he faced her again, he gave a quick kiss to her lips.

"What was that for?!" Touko said, sounding slightly funny with her fat lip.

"So it heals faster" N said innocently. Touko was more than slightly shocked at his response, given how scientific he was. She wanted to tell him that kisses had nothing to do with the healing process, but she let it be.

"What time is it?" she asked instead.

"About five" N replied. "Would you like dinner?"

"I don't wanna leave the room. I'm tired" Touko whined.

"I will have something sent up here then" N said. "You are welcome to take a shower if you would like to" he said before leaving the bathroom. Touko stripped and turned on the shower. She took her time this time, lathering herself up. She felt great for once (except for her lip). She even hummed a tune in the shower.

When she was done, she found the same t shirt and pair of shorts she had worn a few weeks ago. They were warm and smelled fresh, and Touko slipped them on eagerly.

She left the bathroom finding N on the bed with two small trays of food, and a bottle of something. Touko joined him on the bed and he poured her some of the drink from the bottle. She thanked him and took a sip. It tasted sweet and slightly bubbly.

They stayed silent during their meal, save for the end when Touko knocked over the empty bottle and went into a fit of giggles. N collected the empty trays and placed them on the bedside table. Touko was still laughing hysterically; she had had more of the drink that he had. He concluded that it must have been alcoholic based on her behavior.

"That is enough" N tried to reason with her, which only made her laugh harder. He sighed and laid down on his half. The giggles soon quieted and Touko was next to N. She took his hand in both of hers and began playing with his finger, letting a giggle sound occasionally. N watched in silent amusement.

"Hey, hey N" she cooed.

"Yes?"

"Come closer" Touko urged. He listened and was now inches from her face. "You smell good"

N looked strangely at Touko, unsure of how to react.

"Has anyone every told you that?" Touko added, barely able to sit up on her own. N continued to stare at the inebriated girl, who continued to talk about his body odor before going into another fit of giggles. "Do I smell good too?" She cooed.

"The correct word would be 'nice' not 'good'" N corrected. "And it is time to sleep" N added, feeling much more like a caregiver than a King. He pulled Touko back down onto the bed while she frowned.

"But I'm not tired" she whined, despite her eyelids being already half closed. N hit the light before feeling something lay on him. He turned on the light again to see Touko lying fast asleep with her head on his chest. He sighed once and hit the light again so that they could both sleep.

* * *

Touko's head pounded painfully against her skull, as if an Excadrill was burrowing its way through her brain. She sat up slowly, wincing when a ray of light from the slightly parted curtains hit her face.

"You're awake" the familiar voice of Anthea said. Touko was partially surprised that the Goddesses were back, and partially disappointed that N wasn't there to greet her that morning.

"Where's N?" Touko said, positioning herself away from the light.

"The Master had to leave early. He left you in our care" Concordia said softly.

"Oh"

"Are you feeling alright? You had a lot to drink last night, according to Master N"

"Headache" Touko said, rubbing her temples with her first two fingers.

"Would you like us to draw you a bath?"

Touko opened her mouth to speak, but Anthea interjected "You reek of alcohol"

Touko closed her mouth again and nodded to Concordia, who entered the bathroom.

"How was your vacation?" Touko asked the pink haired Goddess.

"Too short" Anthea said with a sigh. "But if Master N needs me, then I will gladly return to his side."

Touko placed a hand on her stomach, suddenly feeling sick. She sprang up and rushed to the bathroom where she positioned herself in front of the toilet. She purged a few times, unable to get anything out. Concordia came to her and placed a hand lightly on the teen's back for support.

"Your bath is ready Miss Touko" Concordia said. Once the feeling of nausea passed Touko dismissed the Goddess and hopped in the tub.

The water was warm and full of bubbles. Touko eased her body into the tub, realizing that not only had she split her lip yesterday, but dozens of small bruises enveloped her arms and legs. She groaned aloud and sunk deeper into the water, so that it was up to her neck. Her eyes closed and she noticed the faint smell of lavender in the air that she hadn't first caught. It was soothing.

The Goddesses would randomly check on Touko to make sure that she hadn't drowned. Touko didn't mind; she hardly noticed them at all really. Once the bath had begun to get cold, Touko began draining it while working the shower.

She quickly dressed back into a fresh jumpsuit the goddesses had laid out for her when finished and gave her teeth a good scrubbing before going back into the bedroom.

Touko watched in mild fascination as the Goddesses were perfectly in sync as to change the sheets of the bed. They were done quickly and Touko went to lay on the freshly made bed.

"Thanks" she murmured dreamily to the older women.

"Are you feeling better?" Concordia asked.

"I'll go prepare something" Anthea said before Touko could reply.

"Is Anthea alright?" Touko asked.

"She will be fine. She is in her motherly mode" Concordia explained.

"Ah"

"You seem quite comfortable" Concordia noted. "Can I assume the Master has something to do with it?"

"N and I are..." Touko struggled to find an appropriate word. "We've been fighting less"

"I see" Concordia said. "It seems as though he is in a better mood as well" the older woman trailed off, leaving the two in complete silence until Anthea returned.

"This should aid your recovery" she said handing Touko a warm cup. It was full of a thick looking brownish liquid that Touko was reluctant to drink. After a hesitant glance at the Goddesses, she downed it in one sitting.

She slammed the cup on the bedside table while choking a bit from the taste. The liquid burned its way down her throat, leaving her gasping for air. Touko felt herself sweating at the odd sensation. After the initial displeasure passed, Touko laid back against the fluffed pillows.

"What was in that?" She panted.

"Trust me Miss Touko, you do not want to know" Anthea replied.

Whatever the hell it was, it was working. Touko's sense of nausea was dissipating, and her headache was resolved to a dull pounding.

"I need a nap" Touko yawned while getting under the blankets, despite having just woken up recently. The Goddesses did not protest, to Touko's surprise, but instead closed the curtains and shut the lights.

* * *

Ghetsis walked in to find N at his desk, still at work.

"You have not finished yet?" Ghetsis growled at his son. N finished signing a document in favor of revoking using Pokemon as mascots and looked at his father. "I thought you would have been wise enough to take the extra time from yesterday"

"I was preoccupied" N replied returning his gaze to his work.

"If that girl was the cause of you neglecting your priorities-"

"She was not." N lied "I know the consequences"

"She better not be" Ghetsis said with a frown, not liking how his son had interrupted him. "Don't sass me, boy" he added with a slap upside the head. N's hand striked across the page, but the young King did not retaliate.

"Sorry, father" he said while returning to his work. After a satisfied 'hmpf', the older man left the office.

The King shook his head and stopped writing. It was strange: that was the first time that he had deliberately lied to his father.

And why had he? For Touko's sake. If his father had found out about yesterday, he would have the girl back in a cell. And N certainly did not want that.

Not to mention the intimate actions that had happened between the two. As far as his father knew, N was still blind to the world of sex; At least experience wise.

N quickly finished his work so that he could go upstairs and relax. He needed to clear his mind.


	9. Chapter 9

When N returned to his room that night, he was surprised to find it encased in light. Touko sat up on the bed, staring with deep concentration at an unfinished puzzle that lay in front of her.

"Hey, N" Touko replied casually, not looking up from the bed. "I got bored so Anthea and Concordia brought me a puzzle"

"Touko? What are you doing up still?" N asked. He watched a small look of triumph cross Touko's face as she put another piece of the puzzle together.

"I took a nap. I'm not tired" She replied, putting another piece into place. Her brows then furrowed in confusion.

"How are you feeling?"

"Better" Touko exhaled in frustration as she replied. "How was work?"

"Troublesome" N denounced as he came to stand by her. The puzzle she was stuck on was one of his favorites from his childhood. It was a geometrical illusion with over 1000 pieces. Most pieces were similar looking, making it near impossible for Touko to do without stopping every few minutes.

"Sorry to hear that" Touko said, finally looking up at N. He held her gaze for a few moments, eyes burrowing into her skull.

He said nothing, but crossed the room in a few strides, flipped the bathroom light on and shut the door behind himself. Touko tried to return her focus to the puzzle. Roughly ten minutes later N came back in the room and sat opposite of Touko on the bed.

"What was it that bothered you, anyway?" Touko asked while struggling to finish the puzzle.

"I had an argument with my father"

"Was it about me?" Touko questioned, her peaked interest visible on her face. N paused before replying that it was.

_Weeks ago he would have said nothing_ Touko noted. The two stared at each other silently until Touko's curiosity began eating away at her.

"What was it about?"

"He asked me why I was up so late working" Touko remained silent, remembering yesterday. "He threatened that if I had not finished my work because of you, you would be back in a cell…"

"What did you tell him?" Touko asked, slightly nervous.

"… I told him it was not because of you..." N's face scrunched perplexedly, his brows furrowed and his eyes in a daze. Touko let out a sigh of relief and began cleaning up the puzzle she hadn't finished, unsure of what she should say or do.

A gap of silence between the two had begun to grow. Touko placed the puzzle box on the bed stand next to her and moved over to her side of the bed. N remained on the edge of the bed, staring blankly.

"...I have never lied to my father before..." N murmured too low for Touko to hear him.

"N, aren't you going to sleep?" she asked. Her voice startled him out of his trance and he finally looked up at her.

"Touko, do you believe lying is alright if it is justified?" N asked, moving to his side of the bed. Touko looked thoughtfully at him, one brow raised in suspicion.

"Why?" Touko asked slowly. N simply shook his head once.

"Never mind. It does not matter" he replied. He reached to shut the lights with one long arm, enfolding the entirety of the room in darkness. Touko's eyes adjusted and she watched N drift deeper into a sleep. Around an hour later Touko deemed him completely comatose.

_Now's my chance_ she thought. Touko carefully snuck out of bed and headed towards the door. She cracked it open, surprised to find no one guarding the door. _That's right… Holiday…_

She quietly slinked down the shadowy halls of the castle, remembering the storeroom full of extra uniforms. She would look much less suspicious if she looked like she worked for Team Plasma.

Touko quickly located the room and changed before heading down to the office. It was surprisingly unguarded as well. She slipped inside, careful not to make too much noise, before turning on the lights.

She sat at the desk and began rummaging through the documents. Most of them were mandatory legal papers stating that the use of Pokemon for advertising and solicitation purposes is now prohibited. It wasn't until the very end of the King's work pile did she find anything remotely interesting.

The only important document that she found granted Team Plasma permission to catch any and all legendary pokemon within the region; including legendaries indigenous to other regions. The phrasing made it seem as if it would be for the benefit of the Pokemon: like protecting them from collectors. But the Sage who moved to have the law passed was none other than Ghetsis. Touko paled at the King's signature of approval that lay at the bottom of the document when the sound of the door opening caught her attention.

Light footsteps grew nearer and nearer until they had stopped directly in front of the desk. Touko held her breathe from underneath it, staring at the two legs of a grunt. Time passed by painfully slow and suspenseful; she was barely able to hear the sound of shuffling papers over her own heartbeat. No longer able to hold her breathe, she risked taking slow, shallow breaths. Unimaginable relief began to flood her body as she watched the legs retreat back out of the office.

Touko crawled out from underneath the desk and searched for something to write on. She found a few post-it notes in one of the drawers of the desk and quickly scrawled as much information from the documents that she could remember. When finished, she tucked it down her shirt and quietly left the office before heading back to the room. She stopped by the storeroom again on the way to retire the borrowed uniform.

She opened and shut the door gently, careful not to wake N. She cracked the bathroom door and turned on the light, allowing a small ray of light to shine near the bed. Touko removed the post-it from her shirt and folded it neatly a few times before wedging it between the bedpost and the wall. There was an awful creaking sound as she did, and the King began to stir.

"Touko?" A sleepy N said.

"Go back to sleep, N" Touko whispered. "I'm just going to the bathroom" he nodded his sleepy head before falling back to sleep. Touko fled to the bathroom, where she let out a silent celebratory cry and did a small victory dance.

_I did it! _she internally rejoiced. She brushed her teeth quickly and used the bathroom before exiting the bathroom and rejoining N in bed. She was beginning to crash from her adrenaline rush being over. Her eyes struggled to stay open and Touko eventually succumbed to sleep.

* * *

An empty bed once again greeted Touko when she woke. In N's place lay a note written in his neat handwriting.

_Touko,_

_I apologize for not telling you that I will be out of the castle for a few days beginning today. If you have any questions, feel free to ask either Anthea and/or Concordia._

_Natural Harmonia Gropius_

Touko read and reread the short note a few times, turning it over in her fingers to make sure that she had not missed anything. What did he expect her to do while he was gone?

_It's a test… It would be best to lie low after yesterday…_ Touko thought. _Then again, if N isn't here it'd be a great chance to find information…_ She shook her head. She would lie low, gain his trust; but if an opportunity too great to pass up presented itself then she'd be extremely careful.

Touko got up and fixed herself up in the bathroom before heading downstairs for breakfast. No one gave Touko a second glance in the hallway, much less stopped her in fear of her escaping. She walked down the long hallways until she met the familiar doors that led to the dining room.

After breakfast, Touko thought it would be a good idea to get to know the castle. She went down another flight of stairs and her heart almost stopped. The doors leading to the Pokemon League were right in front of her. She was tempted to run, oh she was tempted. She stared longingly at them a few more minutes before shaking herself out of it. She had a job to do; her freedom would have to wait.

Touko went back upstairs and began mapping out the castle in her mind. Each floor seemed to have one significantly different room amidst a sea of conference rooms. The kitchen/dining room on the first floor, N's old room on the fifth, the office on the tenth, the very top floor held the bedroom. The only room she couldn't place was the throne room where they had their epic battle.

She noted that there was no visible elevator, and the workers' living quarters were not visible to her. She also spotted some less hidden cameras in the hallways and was glad that she had thought of wearing a Plasma uniform last night. Then again, the idea of hidden cameras made fear well up inside of Touko. If someone were to review the tape, they would see her leaving the bedroom in the dark of the night. And no doubt they would let N know. She would have to wait and see if he confronted her.

After she was confident that she had the castle mapped out, Touko returned to N's old bedroom. She picked up the darts and began to throw them, a little rusty from not having done so. Soon she was back on track though, nearly all three of them hitting the bullseye. Growing bored of that quickly, Touko stopped and sat in the room. The friendly track had slowed eerily, as if it were running out of batteries. Touko tried to imagine what it would be like living here, in almost complete isolation your entire life.

Growing up, she had always had Cheren, Bianca and Touya around. The four had been inseparable. But N… He had only been raised with abused pokemon. The only people he interacted with before were of Team Plasma. That would make her the first person outside of Team Plasma that he'd ever reached out to. No wonder he considered her special.

* * *

"Here you are, Father" N said, sliding three pokéballs over a polished wooden desk to the older man. "The three Swords of Justice"

"Excellent work N" Ghetsis praised with a greedy smile. He grabbed them from the desk in front of them and tucked them away beneath his large robes. "But if you remember correctly, there are four Swords of Justice"

"Keldeo has yet to reveal himself" N defended. "I have no doubt he will soon. He probably senses that the region's legendaries are disappearing" N sat across from his father, looking past him and at the many screens that were mounted on the wall.

N had ordered teams of Plasma members to track the legendary pokémons' movements. The screen that caught his attention, however, was the one that contained no pokémon at all. He watched Touko sitting in his old room silently, seemingly deep in thought.

"Nimbasa city has recently been resistant" Ghetsis said. N turned his attention back to his father. "Several riots have broken out since the announcement. The amusing park was almost set ablaze by the last one"

"We need to secure the city" N stated. "Have Plasma members search the city for rebels. Arrest them and bring them back to the castle"

"Do you suppose we should make an example out of them?"

"No. If it gets too out of hand, more people will start resisting. We cannot afford to have that happen"

"Well said, my King" Ghetsis said. "I'll inform the Team Leaders" Ghetsis got up and left the small office. N turned his attention back towards the monitors. He had been watching her as much as he could.

It was quite a surprise that she hadn't run when presented the chance. He studied the yearning look she gave the door. She had wanted to go, yet she stayed. He wanted to know what was keeping her there.

"Perhaps you should make an appearance in the city as well. Take Reshiram with you" Ghetsis said upon re-entering the office. N nodded his head obediently and stood.

"Have any other legendaries been spotted?" The King asked his father.

"Not yet. I expect to be finished by the end of the week" Ghetsis warned. N nodded his head again before leaving the office and hopping onto Reshiram's back.


	10. Chapter 10

Nimbasa city had been a nightmare. Tens, maybe hundreds of citizens had reeked havoc, participating in the kind of Not-So-Peaceful protest that N had tried to avoid. Rioters and rebels alike flooded the streets, save for a small section in the middle that was occupied by the Plasma members stationed there. They were completely surrounded, their assigned Pokemon knocked out by the rebellious Trainers and their Pokemon.

Reshiram gave an earth-shattering roar at the King's request, and began spewing flames into the sky. The crowd silenced, watching N and Reshiram circle the crowd once before descending. Screams of terror cut through the quiet restlessness of the people as they made room for Reshiram to land. Silence again consumed the people as they watched him dismount from the white dragon. He stood expressionless, his shoulders set tensely and posture erect.

"People of Nimbasa City! Why do you rebel?" He said, amplifying his voice. "Look at your Pokemon!" N paused, observing the reactions the crowd members gave him as they did so. "They are hurt; tired. They do not wish to fight one another"

"I did not create this new law to punish you, nor the Pokemon you have bonded with" N said in a gentler way, drawing from his knowledge from his fights with Touko. The tenseness in his shoulders dissipated and he began to pace slowly. His face now bore sympathy, as he tried to send a glance towards each person in the crowd. "Pokemon are loyal; they will fight to the death for their master. But who gave man the right to become their master? Pokemon should be free to live a life where they can live carefree in the wild. Do you disagree?"

He waited patiently a few seconds, but no spoke out against him; no one dared to disagree. "I implore you to see what a world separate from pokemon could be like. Allow them to be our equals"

N stopped pacing and squared his shoulders back in their original position. Slowly, people began returning their Pokemon, filling the King with a secret joy. A few remained out however, their trainers looking angry.

"Are all of you really going to give into that trubbish ?!" Shouted a man no more than twenty feet from N, breaking the silence. Before him stood a Zebstrika, faithfully awaiting its Trainer's order. "I've had enough! Zebstrika! Wild Charge!"

The Lightning Pokemon began to spark and charge N. Cries of panic escaped some crowd members as they made shyed away to avoid being struck. A low growl sounded from Reshiram, but N held him at bay. He made no attempt to dodge the incoming attack; he spread his arms wide instead, as if he were embracing it.

"Friend. You do not wish to attack me" N said. The Zebstrika faltered and began to slow to a light trot. "I stand here, defenseless, before you. You may strike me still, but would it be on your own accord?"

The Pokemon stopped completely now, about a foot before the King. Small sparks were visible still, but the Pokemon showed no further aggression. Experimentally, N reached out to the Pokemon. With slow movements, he placed his hand on the forehead of the creature, calming it with his touch.

"What the-?! What'd you do to my Pokemon?!" The man shouted.

"I have done nothing but demonstrate the oppression people place on Pokemon by confining them. They wish not to fight." N paused. He removed his hand from the Pokemon and fully addressed the crowd again. "Release your Pokemon now and you shall not be penalized. Refuse to do so, and face the consequences"

After that, a new wave of Plasma members surrounded the perimeter of the city. Anyone who defied N's new offer at peace was detained, their Pokemon revoked and released. They were to be brought back to the castle where they would serve as convicts. After the crowd was dispersed, N called to Reshiram and returned back to his father.

"I take it, it went smoothly?" Ghetsis asked upon the return of his son. N sat down, weary from the pressure to diffuse the situation.

"Yes. I believe Nimbasa city's residents will abide from this point onward" N said. He closed his tired eyes, waiting patiently for his father's response.

"Excelle-"

"Sir! Victini has showed itself!" a Plasma member interrupted excitedly upon entry of the cabin.

"Where?" Ghetsis demanded. The member pointed to a screen behind the older man's head.

"There! Camera 15! Liberty Garden"

"Station a team there. Make sure it does not escape" Ghetsis ordered. The grunt saluted before leaving. "As for you- wake up" he said to N. The King opened his eyes again with a drawn out sigh. "Go to Liberty Garden and secure Victini"

"Yes, Father"

* * *

Touko had spent the past six days going out of her mind. She had yet to successfully pass the note unto Raz, who hadn't returned from vacation. She had decided to lay low since she almost was found out, which meant no new information was gathered. And she had yet to come up with a solid plan to get closer with N once he returned.

Touko was in the bedroom when he got back, donned in his t-shirt and shorts. Her back was turned from him, unaware that he had entered the room. N stood silently in the doorway, taking note of the small discolorations that caressed her skin.

"What happened?" N asked, sending Touko shooting out of her skin. She turned and she was face to chest with N. Without warning, he grabbed her arm lightly and began examining her skin. "What happened?" he repeated, looking at her face with cool eyes.

"I fell off while riding the skateboard" Touko explained nonchalantly, despite her elevated heart rate. "You could have said something y'know. It's rude to sneak up on people. And creepy" she scolded.

"I am sorry" N said.

"You look terrible" Touko observed, taking note of the dark circles underneath his eyes and the sluggish way he moved. He dropped her arm and entered the bathroom. Touko sat on the bed and waited for him to return.

"I didn't know you'd be coming back today" she said when N came back out. "It's been kinda lonely here all by myself"

"Really?" N asked in an astonished fascination. He seemed almost pleased with the fact that she was lonesome without his company. A thought suddenly struck her: Maybe what he wanted from her was more than her attention, but her companionship.

She waited until he was completely settled before saying "I've been thinking lately… You don't have friends"

"Of course I have friends" N interjected defensively "Pokemon are my friends"

"I meant human friends" Touko amended. "Wasn't it... lonely growing up?"

N stared into space thoughtfully for a moment "Sometimes yes. But I was often too busy to feel lonely. I was preparing to be a King while simultaneously caring for Pokemon"

"What about now?" Touko pushed. "Now that you're already King and the pokemon are liberated?"

"I have found other things to preoccupy my time"

"Like?"

"Work" N said coming to sit next to her on the bed "And you"

A bit of color emerged on her face, but Touko ignored it. "So you don't want friends? Ever?"

"I would not mind it" N replied "But I am far too busy revolutionizing Unova"

"Oh" Touko said, trying her best to sound crestfallen.

"I have upset you" N observed aloud.

"Well, it's just… never mind" Touko dismissed sheepishly.

"Just what?" N asked, spurring her on.

"I thought we were kind of… I mean, even after everything that's happened… We have some good memories…" It wasn't a total lie. Part of her still wished to be friends with N. Like back when they were just two Trainers that ran into each other on occasion. "But if you don't-"

"Several weeks ago you clearly stated that you once considered me a friend in the past. What has changed?" N asked, accompanied by a questioning gaze.

"I was mad at you" Touko blurted out. "I didn't agree with your views; I still don't. I was under a ton of stress and pressure. I hadn't slept or eaten. I was upset because I didn't get to say goodbye to my friends or my mom or my pokemon. Also because I felt betrayed and-" Touko stopped herself abruptly, fearing that if she didn't end there she never would stop. That and she didn't want the anger she could slowly feel resurfacing make her say something that may set her back.

"But, no matter how mad at you I've been I still have considered you my friend" Touko finished. She unclenched the fist she had unconsciously made before adding "Just because you disagree with someone doesn't make you enemies automatically"

"I see" N said. He wasn't looking at her for once, his eyes staring blankly into space instead.

"So? Are we friends?" Touko asked. N looked at her with wariness in his eyes.

"I am unsure" N replied.

"Oh. Right. I'm only a prisoner" Touko half-snapped in frustration. She quickly disguised it in an easily identified fake smile. "We should go to bed. You're probably tired" Touko added then curled up in a ball facing away from N on her side of the bed. She felt him join her and turn off the light.

* * *

Friend (n.)

[frend]

A person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection, typically exclusive of sexual or family relations.

N stared at the definition a long while. He was beyond tired, but he hadn't been able to fall asleep. Was he friends with Touko? She thought so.

Befriending her would be the last thing his father would want. He would accuse Touko of being toxic, and trying to poison him with her way of thinking. But she had not; She had stated that despite their different views they could still be friends.

Perhaps a test was to be put into order. The King finally put the dictionary down and turned off the small light that sat at his desk. Father wouldn't approve of his experiment, but Anthea and Concordia would aid him.

* * *

"He wants to what?!" Touko asked for clarification. She must have heard them wrong. There was no way that N wanted to-

"Take you out" Anthea said again.

"Why? Last night he made it very clear that I'm a prisoner" Touko said.

"It is not our position to question the Master" Concordia said. "We only do as he wishes" That's when it really sunk in how devoted they were to N. Even if they had known why he wanted to, there was no way they were going to tell her.

"Come on then. Let's get you ready" Anthea said, hauling the girl to her feet and dragging her out of the room. They took her to the enormous bathroom that she used to use before moving in with N. They bathed her and sat her at the vanity.

"My your hair has grown quite long" Concordia remarked. It was to her shoulders, slightly ratty, but only a few inches shy of where it once was.

"Are you going to cut it short again?" Touko asked.

"Only if you wish it" Anthea replied. Touko thought a few minutes.

"Cut it, please" she replied. Her hair fell about the same length it was before when they were done, and then she was dressed in a plain white women's t-shirt and a pair of brown knee-length shorts.

"Where are we going?" Touko asked as they headed towards the exit.

"The Master wishes for it to remain a surprise" Anthea said, preventing her from going any further. She wrapped a small blindfold over the girl's eyes.

"Now remember, no one but Master N and us know of this affair" Concordia said, guiding her by the arm.

They stopped abruptly after a while, and Touko was pulled back a step by the momentum. Despite the blindfold, Touko picked up a drastic change in lightning. Not only that, but she could now feel the warmth of the sun radiating across her skin.

"Anthea; Concordia; thank you" N said politely. Two hands firmly grasped Touko by the wrists and gently pulled her forward. "Careful. There's a dip" N said softly. Touko cautiously waved her foot in front of her, almost like a cane. It met something a few inches lower and she stepped onto it, stumbling into N. He stood strong against her, his lanky frame unwavering even the slightest bit by the impact.

"How long will you be gone, Master?" Anthea asked.

"Not too long. Make sure no one enters the bedroom. If anyone questions you, reply that you are taking care of Touko" N said.

"Yes, Master" the Goddesses said in unison. She heard a light clicking noise, signaling that they had walked away.

"I'm going to pick you up. Remain calm"

"Wha-?" Touko said before literally being swept off of her feet. N placed her down momentarily, on something soft and plush. Something then pressed to her backside, and secured itself tightly around either side of Touko.

"You may take the blindfold off" N said from behind her. Touko reached back and lifted it from her head. Below her lay Reshiram, and further still lay the rocky mountain range that the Pokemon League resided in. She only had a moment to comprehend what was happening before the Dragon took off, making the teen's stomach lurch and causing her to fall into the form behind her.

A small scream of surprise left her lips and Touko felt the figure behind her stiffen. One arm rested on either side of her, both belonging to N. She looked back and tried to ask where they were going, but was drowned out by the whipping of the wind as they soared.

Touko turned back around and figured that she might as well enjoy the view; who knew how long it would be before she would see it again. After what seemed like an endless expanse of time, they began descending.

"N, why are we here?" Touko asked in pure confusion. They landed and N helped Touko off gently before dismissing the legendary.

"I thought you might be in need of some fresh air" N replied vacantly and began striding into Nimbasa city. Touko hesitated a moment before following.

She stayed a few paces behind him the entire way, all the way up until the amusement park. Her feet remained firmly planted outside of the entrance. Her eyes glazed over, looking at the main attraction with a fearful recollection of sorts.

"Touko" N said coming into view. She blinked a few times, knocking herself out of what had come over her. "Let us continue" N said, taking hold of her hand this time. He led her over to the Ferris wheel, where they waited in line to board. Deja vu ensnared Touko's mind as they boarded and sat in one of the pokeball shaped carts. She remained quiet, staring out the window the entire time.

N only half paid attention to Touko, his own mind enthralled in the very functioning of the attraction. He tried mentally calculating the speed of it by measuring the time it took for their cart to move from one position to the next.

The wheel rotated one and a half times before stopping roughly every ten minutes to allow passengers on and off of it.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" N asked Touko once they were about halfway to the top. She didn't answer, but remained staring out at the window. "Touko?"

She turned to him with tears in her eyes. "S-sorry" she stuttered while wiping them on the backs of her hands. "It's just overwhelming"

N didn't know what to make of the action. Perhaps she was overwhelmed that she was outside; or the fact that many months ago, in this very situation, he had revealed his true identity to her, thus causing her to feel betrayed. Perhaps it was both. Either way, this was not what he had anticipated.

"Touko" N said in the softest way, the way he usually talked to only abused Pokemon. "It is alright" he soothed. He slowly reached for her, bringing her into a hug.

Touko tensed involuntarily at his touch, though she doubted that he noticed. He was the last person that she wanted to be holding her at the moment; in the very same spot that he had revealed himself to her. If she refused his gesture, it would contradict her declaration of friendship. However, wouldn't pushing him away be the natural reaction?

She remained in his embrace until it was their turn to exit the ride. Her tears were dried but the aftermath of them was still apparent: puffy, red cheeks, glossy eyes. Her appearance paired with the bruises left on her skin made N look like some sort of abusive lover of hers.

"Do you care to walk for a bit?" N asked, still using his soft voice. Touko nodded her head and N slipped his hand in hers without hesitation, guiding them down the narrow pathway. The various booths no longer contained merchandise in the likeness of Pokemon: The cotton candy no longer resembling an Audino, prizes for carnival booths now coupons for various snacks around the park. Even the Pokemon photo station, where the photographers could make you into any Pokemon, was nowhere in sight.

"N, I have to..." Touko trailed off, motioning instead to the nearby bathrooms.

"Of course" N said, walking with her to them. He released her hand and she went inside and recollected herself. When she came back out however, he was gone.

I could run was Touko's primal instinct. She began a light jog before stopping again. That's probably what he was waiting for. She still hadn't passed the information onto Raz, but if she could get away now, there would be no need for his help. Also, the chances of him finding her if she ran were slim, even for him.

Reluctantly, she sat herself at a bench and waited. She would keep her promise.

She felt oddly exposed out in the open, as if she was being watched. She began scanning the crowd for a source of that feeling.

"I hope you did not wait long" N said. He sat next to her, carrying two popsicles. "Here. I thought this might make you feel better" he said, handing her one.

She took it and thanked him before starting on her popsicle. She couldn't quite place the flavor. It tasted like it was made from Wiki, maybe Bluk berries.

"We should go, before anyone finds out you are gone" N said once they were both finished.

"Can we stay a bit longer, please?" Touko asked, grabbing onto N's arm lightly.

"I suppose. What would you care to do?" N complied. Touko thought a moment. If she had run, there would only be one place where she would have taken refuge.


	11. Chapter 11

"The roller coaster. Can we ride it together?" Touko asked. N looked startled by her request but agreed, and the pair headed towards the old Pokemon Gym. It looked exactly the same as it had the first time she had been in it, albeit the lack of Trainers to challenge.

They stood waiting at the end of a short line, not speaking. Touko snuck a few glances at N, who had part of his shirt clenched in a fist. She also noticed that the nearer they got to the ride, the more tense he seemed to be.

"N, do you not like roller coasters?" Touko asked. They were almost next, only two people left in front of them.

"I am not very fond of them, no" N replied with hesitation laced in his voice. Touko had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing out loud. _This guy could befriend one of the most powerful Pokemon in the region, run Unova, but was afraid of a roller coaster!_

"N, you don't have to ride it with me. You can wait-" Touko started after the people in front of them boarded.

"No!" N interjected sharply, turning several heads their way. "Pardon my outburst" he quickly apologized, dropping his voice down so only Touko could hear it. " I wish to accompany you" The two fell silent again while waiting for their cart. Touko led the way once it arrived, N following her warily.

"Welcome to the Nimbasa City Roller Coaster. Please buckle yourself in and secure any loose belongings" An automated voice instructed. They situated themselves, Touko in the front and N behind her. "Please keep your hands and feet inside. The cabin will be closing in- 3"

"N, you can hold onto me if you feel uneasy" Touko said.

"-2-"

Touko felt two strong arms wrap around her midsection.

"-1- Enjoy your ride!" The voice said and they were off. They slowly crept up the track and Touko threw her arms up in the air in anticipation. They stalled at the top a moment before plummeting down the drop at max speed. N's grip tightened painfully, while Touko let screams of excitement escape her. After zipping back around a few times and going through the loop, the ride began to slow. A flash went off, snapping the teens' picture, before coming to a complete stop.

"Please remain seated until you are assisted" The automated voice sounded. Touko was out of breath from all the screaming she had done, and N's bone-crushing grip on her only made it harder for her to breathe.

"... N... can't breathe…" Touko panted and his hold on her vanished.

"Touko. I am sorry. Are you alright?" N asked from behind her. She faced him and a few breathless laughs sounded.

"I'm fine, but are you? You're almost as green as your hair!" Touko busted out laughing once air filled her lungs again. N began examining himself, looking for any discoloration. "N, it's an expression" Touko explained once she calmed down.

"Thank you for riding with us. Please come again" The voice sounded a final time and the cabin opened. They unbuckled their seatbelts and walked towards the photo kiosk, Touko almost having to catch N from falling a few times.

"There's us!" Touko pointed excitedly at the photograph of them. She wore a big smile on her face accompanied by bright eyes. Her hands were thrown in the air in excitement. N wore an amusingly frightened expression; His eyes were wide and his teeth were clenched tightly together behind parted lips. His arms were wrapped so tightly around the other teen's waist. N wondered how she had been able to breathe at all under his death grip. Nonetheless, it was by far the worst photograph the King had ever taken.

"Touko, we should go" N said, still eyeing the ghastly photograph.

"Can we get it please?" Touko turned around to face N. Her hands were clasped together in front of her as if she were shaking dice. She protruded her bottom lip slightly and made her eyes grow wide and innocent, making her much resemble a Lillipup.

"... Alright" N complied reluctantly.

"Yay!" Touko cheered in front of him; Her hands flew in the air, in delight this time, and she gave the King a small, quick squeeze. She then turned back around, ordering two sets. N swiped his credit card through the dispenser and two photos dropped down. Touko grabbed them and handed one to N, a big smile covering her face.

"Come now. It is time to go" N said, guiding her by her back out of the door as she examined the photo further. They walked to where they had originally dismounted from Reshiram before N called to him again. He was there within minutes and the teens mounted him and took off for the castle again.

* * *

"Welcome back, Master N. Miss Touko" The Goddesses greeted.

"Miss Touko, if you'll come with us first" Concordia said, extending a hand to her. She took it and got off of Reshiram, allowing the Goddesses to guide her back to the bedroom unseen. N waited several minutes before starting down the hallway going the opposite direction.

N entered his office, placing the photo carefully on the desk before sitting down. He still had work left over from this morning, but his mind was not focused on that. His attention was spent reflecting on the day, on Touko's reactions. She had allowed him to comfort her earlier, and in return he had done the same. She had seemed genuinely _happy _to be with him earlier.

"Master N-" Concordia started.

"-Miss Touko is asleep" Anthea ended.

"Thank you" N said, looking up at them.

"It has been a long day. You should retire for the night soon as well" Anthea advised.

"I am just about finished" N said, though he still had many documents to sign off on.

"You two seemed to have had fun today" Concordia commented. "Miss Touko showed us the photograph you two had taken"

N said nothing but grimaced slightly, making both of the Goddesses smirk.

"Do not worry. No one else shall ever see such an unflattering photograph of you" Anthea reassured. "In any case, what did you conclude about Miss Touko?"

"I believe that we may be friends" N said slowly. He looked up, waiting for the reactions of the Goddesses. Neither one had much of a reaction, but they did not seem displeased by the fact.

"Do you trust her?" Anthea pushed, lips growing taut after asking.

"No, not completely" N admitted with a shake of his head. "But I do not distrust her either" Anthea pursed her lips and knitted her brows together.

"We will leave you to your work. Goodnight Master" Concordia chimed in quickly, not wanting her sister's distressed expression to upset him. They left, leaving N to read through the remaining documents, though it was still hard to focus entirely. He wanted nothing more that to return to his room and see his… friend.

* * *

Touko couldn't help but smile smugly to herself as the Goddesses escorted her to the bedroom. It pleased Touko greatly that she had made progress, since she hadn't done so in weeks. She had successfully made some sort of ground with N. Plus, she had been able to leave the castle.

When the Goddesses questioned why her mood was so elevated, Touko showed them the photograph. The two had smiled at their master's ridiculous expression before entering the room with her and helping her get ready for bed. Once in bed, they stayed with her a while, warning her that she must keep the photograph hidden, lest someone else find it. Touko nodded along sleepily before tucking it under her pillow and completely knocking out. The Goddesses left her then, shutting of the light after themselves.

* * *

Touko awoke early enough to watch the sun rise the next morning. She stumbled over to the window and watched the rising sun bathe the mountains in a golden light. If she listened closely, she could make out the faint sounds of the Pokemon that lived nearby. For an instant, she wanted nothing more than to jump out of the window and join them.

Once the sun was up, she sleepily stumbled into the bathroom and took a look at herself in the mirror. She fingered her short hair lightly, somewhat regretting that she had cut it. Next time she would just have it trimmed for sure. She shook her head then, and proceeded with getting ready for the day.

When she exited the bathroom, N was still asleep. Her stomach growled ferociously, but Touko didn't want to wake him. She had stirred slightly when he came in last night, knowing that it was a few hours after they returned. He deserved to sleep in.

An idea popped in her head then: since she was hungry, why didn't she order them breakfast? Serving breakfast in bed could be her way of thanking him for taking her out. Since she knew of no way to contact the kitchen however, she would have to walk.

Carefully, she left the room before heading down a few flights of stairs until she reached the dining room. Instead of sitting at the table, she walked straight into the kitchen, confusing the chefs that were chatting idly. They froze once she entered, giving her the strangest looks.

"Um, hi" Touko said awkwardly. "I want to surprise N with breakfast in bed" The chefs continued to stare at her silently, barely even seeming to blink. "... So, do you think you could prepare a tray of something for him, please? Maybe his favorite breakfast food?" A few moments more of silent, awkward staring continued.

"It'll be done in twenty minutes" the head chef, Touko assumed, finally answered. They forced her out of the kitchen then, making her return to the room while she waited. They tried to offer her something to eat, but she declined, finding it rude to eat before N. She reopened the bedroom door and accidentally slammed it shut behind her, but to her surprise, N didn't wake.

_Wow, he really must be out cold_ Touko thought. She sat on the bed again, watching N sleep. She noticed now that he had slept in his clothing from yesterday, which was now wrinkled from having done so. His face was peaceful, as it usually was when he slept. His lips were parted, and his hair half-covered his face, obstructing her view from the rest of it. She absentmindedly began to brush soft green locks from his face, making him stir slightly. Touko meant to retract her hand, but N let out a quiet groan in protest. He rolled over towards her onto his back, making him adjacent to Touko.

"... Please... continue" he mumbled sleepily. Touko, although surprised, began stroking N's hair again, loving the softness of it against her skin. N let out a sigh of contentment at her resumption, slowly falling back asleep.

After about ten minutes more, a knock sounded and Touko went to get the door. She thanked the Plasma member who delivered the tray, taking it and placing it on the desk. She waited a few minutes more and N began to rouse, most likely due to the smell that now permeated through the room.

"Good morning" Touko said softly with a smile. She picked up the tray and carried it over to N, who was now sitting up and rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Good morning" N replied with a yawn. Once he dropped his hands and opened his eyes he stared blankly at Touko. "What is this?" He asked, his tired eyes meeting hers.

"I wanted to thank you for taking me out yesterday. I asked the chefs to make you your favorite" she placed the tray in front of him and pulled off the silver lid to reveal a monstrous omelette accompanied by a bowl of assorted berries. She sat next to him, observing his reaction with a goofy grin of her own. N looked in shock from the food, to Touko, then back to the food. "Well? Dig in!"

N picked up the silverware and began cutting the omelette happily. She unconsciously eyed him bring the fork to his lips, making her hunger resurface. Her stomach growled loudly, shocking Touko out of her trance.

"You are hungry. Have you eaten?" N asked after swallowing. He dropped the fork from his mouth, letting his arm rest against the tray again.

"I was too focused on getting your breakfast. I guess I forgot" Touko said sheepishly. "I'll just go back down and get something-"

"There is no need for that" N interrupted. "We can share"

"N, really, it's okay-"

"-There is more than enough. Do not worry" He added, cutting another piece and stabbing it onto the fork. He held it up in front of her face and looked at her expectantly. Touko gave in to her hunger, leaned forward slightly and bit the food off of the fork. A faint trace of a smile crossed the King's lips as he returned to his omelette. Touko nonchalantly picked up the bowl of berries and began eating them one at a time.

Once the meal was finished, N began getting ready for the day, leaving Touko alone in the bedroom. She lay on the bed and looked around, finding N's cube-like charm on his nightstand. Curiously, she picked it up and began to turn it over in her hands.

"It is called a Menger Sponge" N spoke from the doorway of the bathroom. "It is what is known as a fractal curve"

Touko dropped the 'Menger Sponge' on the bed in front of her and held up her hands in surrender. "You lost me"

"It simultaneously exhibits an infinite surface area and zero volume" N explained further, coming towards her and grabbing it. He placed it back on the nightstand as Touko rolled enough to face him.

"So, what are we doing today?" she asked lazily.

"Sadly, I have meetings all day today. I have actually missed one already" N said rushed while simultaneously adjusting his clothing. "There shall be someone outside of the door, should you need anything" he added while striding over to the door. He opened it and paused with his hand still on the handle. "Thank you for the breakfast. I shall see you tonight"

Touko let out a short breath of frustration and lay back down, a small frown forming on her face. She retrieved the photo from underneath her pillow and stared at it idly. She almost hadn't heard the sound of the door opening and closing.

"Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes" Raz's deep, gruff voice sounded. Touko looked up from the photo to see him striding over to her. He leaned on the bed casually, looking over her shoulder at the photo. "I take it you made some progress"

"Yeah. That's not all" Touko said handing the picture off to him. She went by the headboard and took the small paper she had placed there a few weeks ago and handed it off to him. "How was your vacation?"

"Not bad. I got to go home" Raz said, placing the photo down and skimming the paper. "Damn, this is worse than I thought…"

"It get's worse. That note was from over a week ago"

"Damnit!" Raz cursed. "In any case, thanks. Not sure how much it'll help" he added, tucking it away in his uniform. He picked the photo back up. "This really isn't a great picture of him. But it was a great idea"

Touko cocked her head to the side in confusion "What do you mean?"

"I worked one of these once. The amusement park workers are required to save any purchased photo in case the consumer's gets lost or destroyed. When did you take this anyhow?"

"Yesterday" That meant that not only was there a time-stamped record of her being in Nimbasa City, but someone might see it and relay it to someone who knew her. Like Elesa. "N took me to Nimbasa City. I think it was some sort of test to see if he could trust me" Touko explained. She thought back to Elesa possibly seeing it. "Do you think Elesa might see it and contact my mom? She must be worried sick…"

"Maybe. But why don't you just ask to call her?"

"'Why don't you just ask to call her?'" Touko scoffed. Then she remembered that she still was promised a phone call from the King. "Actually, thanks for reminding me, Sorry for snapping"

"It's fine. Anyone in your position would be snippy" Raz said.

"So, what now? Do you need me to do anything else?" Touko questioned, plucking the picture from Raz and placing it back underneath her pillow. He sat down on the bed now, looking thoughtfully.

"Seeing as Team Plasma most likely already has every legendary in the region, I don't think there is much else to find out" he said. "Just keep doing what you're doing with N, I suppose. When I think of something else, I'll find some way to let you know"

"Fair enough" Touko said with a sigh. "You should go. Wouldn't want N to come back and see you and me alone in the room. On the bed together. _Sitting and talking_" Touko quipped, thinking of the last time that they were alone together.

"You're probably right" Raz said with a short chuckle. He stood up and stretched. "Hey, by the way, I never warned you to be careful. Often times the lines between reality and make believe get blurred. Don't lose focus; remember why you're doing this"

"Gotcha" Touko replied before he left the room. She got up after he left and began pacing the room. She didn't often have this much time to herself; she decided that she should make a day of it.

She fled to the bathroom, starting a bath for herself. She dropped in various soap and bubble mixtures, watching the water begin to foam. She stripped and entered the bath, slightly overwhelmed by all of the different products that she had used. Delicious fragrances danced through the air and into her nasal cavities where they clashed and burned. She let herself slip lower and lower into the tub until she was fully submerged.

Once the water lost its heat, she drained the tub and rinsed herself off. She stepped into the bedroom in only a towel, walking over to the dresser for a spare change of clothing. She shuffled through the drawers halfheartedly, a frown appearing on her face when she saw nothing of hers. She double checked the drawer more quickly before concluding that she was officially out of clothes.

She hesitated a few moments, contemplating whether or not to borrow something else, before snatching a fresh white dress shirt off of its hanger. She slipped it on and buttoned it, letting the towel crumple on the floor around her. It was baggy and came down halfway down her thigh and she had to roll the sleeves up a tremendous amount, but it would have to do.

After returning the towel back to the bathroom, she grabbed her nail care kit from the feminine care package she was given months ago. Then she got to work, trimming and giving her nails a French tip manicure. Waiting for the polish to dry really helped the time fly by. By the time Touko finished her nails and toenails, it was nearing sundown.

Sometime after that, dinner was served to her and she ate it greedily, not realizing how hungry she had been seeing as she had missed lunch. She left the dirty dishes on the desk before hopping back on the bed. Her eyes began to flutter shut out of sheer boredom and Touko fell in and out of sleep.

* * *

**Fun fact: I actually went to an amusement park when I started writing this chapter. So, things are going pretty smoothly for Touko, right? Let me know what you think, possible predictions, etc etc. Hope you're having a great summer so far, and may you be blessed with not seeing any back to school commercials yet.**


	12. Chapter 12

Light penetrated the small gap in the curtains, striking the brunette teen directly in the face. She withdrew from it, rolling instinctually out of its range. A short shriek sounded as she rolled too far. Groaning, she sat up and rubbed her jaw. Her teeth clinked together painfully as she fell, and the taste of blood was slowly working its way into her mouth. She looked back to bed, realizing that she had fallen from N's side.

"Touko...?" Her eyes drifted to the small couch in his room. He sat up, rubbing the remaining sleep from his eyes.

"Morning" Touko grumbled as his eyes scanned the room. He opened the curtain, allowing more light to seep into the room. They rested on her and he immediately walked over and helped her up. He examined her, gently taking her head between his hands and rolling it carefully to inspect further.

"Why were you on the couch?" Touko asked, brows furrowed. If he had been there, the worst she could have done was rolled into him.

"I thought it inappropriate" N said slowly. "Given your current state" His eyes raked over her figure, lingering on the areas that his shirt didn't cover.

"Mh" Touko let out, conscious of her state of dress now. Her cheeks stained red but she did not move to conceal herself. They remained standing like that a few minutes, until N sent for someone to gather new clothing.

"How late did you get in?' she asked awkwardly, crossing one leg over the other at the ankles after seating herself on the bed.

"I am not sure. I had more work than anticipated to get done" N said, grabbing something from his dresser. She watched his lean muscles as he placed it in his pocket and disappeared into the bathroom.

"Oh" Touko said meekly, feeling bad for having woken him. Several minutes later he came out, allowing her to use the bathroom next. When she got out of the shower, she found a fresh jumpsuit on the counter next to her stack of towels. The discarded shirt that she wore was nowhere to be seen, not that Touko was much surprised. She quickly changed and rejoined N in the bedroom.

"Sorry about waking you up" Touko said as she came out.

"It is fine" N replied with a sigh.

A silent staredown ensued, making Touko quite uncomfortable for some reason. She had been under his intense gaze many times before, but there was something off-putting about this one; though, she couldn't quite place it.

"What are we doing today?" She asked, trying to move the attention solely from herself. The King let loose a sigh.

"'We' are not doing anything today" He stated somewhat coldly. "I must attend the meeting I missed yesterday.

"So, I'll just be here?" Touko questioned, raising a brow.

"Yes"

"Let's just take it easy; you're probably still tired" Touko suggested. He motioned for her to sit next to him, which she did. Her legs swung back and forth idly as she waited for him to say something.

"I have concluded that we are friends, you know" He looked at her with a blank expression, observing her own shocked one carefully.

"I'm glad…" Touko replied quickly, flashing him a small smile. He remained quiet a few moments, making Touko grow serious. "What's wrong?"

"I do not know much about human friendship" N disclosed.

"I could teach you" she said. "It's really not much different than being friends with a pokemon"

"How so?" N asked, giving Touko his full attention. Curiosity was etched all over his face; His eyes were slightly wider than usual and the rest of his features softened.

"Well, for starters, you should be nice to your friends, right?" Touko said, counting off on a finger. "And you should pay attention to them" she said adding another finger.

"I see…" N said, nodding his head in agreement.

"Humans have different levels of friendship too, though… There's friends, then good friends, then best friends..."

"Are there other kinds?" N interrupted. Touko nodded her head tentatively.

"Er…" Touko hesitated a moment, but the Kings eager gaze silently implored for her to continue. "There's also friends with benefits, girlfriends, and boyfriends… but those relationships are slightly different" The King said nothing, but gave a questioning look. "They are more intimately involved"

"What kinds of benefits?" N inquired, leaning in closer.

"Well... friends with benefits are two people who are just friends who 'do it'" Touko barely managed to say.

"'It' referring to sex?" N asked for clarification. Touko nodded quickly, unable to verbally confirm his answer. N ignored her embarrassment, pressing for further explanation "What about the other types?"

"Other intimate relationships actually care for the person's feelings" Touko responded slowly.

"I understand" N said, nodding his head again. "What else?"

"You should want to make them happy and put them first" Touko finished, turning her head towards N and flinching at how close he had gotten. Silence fell upon the pair as she waited for some kind of acknowledgment from N.

After a while the older boy abruptly asked "Did you consider fleeing from me the other day? At the amusement park"

Touko stopped swinging her legs and her smile slowly slipped from her face. "Yes" she replied seriously. She avoided making eye contact with him, feeling slightly guilty that she had.

"Why did you not?" N pressed. Touko shrugged her shoulders.

"I knew it wouldn't benefit me. Even if I could get away, you would most likely pursue me" She said, looking to him for confirmation of some sort. He nodded his head a few times in response. "Then I'd either be captured again, or I would spend the rest of my life running from you. It'd be exhausting"

Touko snuck another glance at N, who wasn't looking at her anymore. His face was as unreadable as always, but his eyes were unfocused, as if he were thinking. She waited patiently, assuming that he had more questions to ask her; she began swinging her legs back and forth again until his voice sounded and captured her attention.

"Are you happy, Touko?"

"I…" Touko trailed off.

"Master N, I- Oh" Concordia proclaimed upon opening the door. "Forgive me, I do not wish to intrude; Sage Ghetsis would like to see you in his office"

"What is this about?" N asked while slowly rising.

"There's been an incident" Concordia answered. N followed her from the room without a moment's hesitation, leaving Touko alone.

* * *

"Sit"

"What is this about, Father?" N asked, upon entering Ghetsis' office. The dim room was unusually bright, the dozens of camera screens shining behind the Sage making him out to only be a silhouette, albeit his one reflective red eye.

"Do you realize who you are?" The older man asked coldly, glaring hard at the young King.

"I am the King of Team Plasma" N said flatly. He really did not see the point in such a simple question, so much that it irritated him a bit.

"And do you know what comes along with that title?" Ghetsis continued, standing up. He laced his hands behind his back and began pacing in from of the screens, N's eyes never leaving his form.

"Power" he stated confidently. Had his father really brought him down here to confirm something so blatantly apparent?

"Scrutiny" Ghetsis jeered, halting mid-step to face N fully. "Responsibility". Behind him flashed the image of N's terrified visage, and Touko's lively one, across all of the screens, creating one big picture. "What does this image convey to you? A fearless King whose rule is absolute?"

N remained silent, too shocked and disgusted by his own negligence. Why had he not thought of this before they bought the accursed photograph; allowed there to be any record that he took Touko into town? It was very unlike himself to leave loose ends.

"Answer me when I'm speaking to you, boy!" Ghetsis barked, forcefully placing his hands on the dark wood. N flinched, not having expected the sudden stimulation while stuck in thought. "To me, it looks like a terrified, pathetic, child, who deserves no such title"

"Father, I-"

"Silence" Ghetsis interrupted, holding up a hand. "I warned you before that if your work suffered because of this, this strumpet-"

"My work has not suffered!" N shouted, standing up abruptly to mirror Ghetsis' position. They locked eyes, neither of them speaking for a while.

"You've already missed several meetings because of her!" Ghetsis hissed. "Don't get smart with me! Remember who got you to where you are today. Without me you'd be running around like a savage: uneducated, uncultured-"

"I apologize, Father" N said softly, bowing his head in defeat. He sunk back into the chair and let loose a sigh, unable to meet his father's eye. He had been very out of character, recently, most likely due to Touko's influence like his father had implied. "My outburst was inappropriate; you were correct. It was careless of me"

"Stop the hysterics" Ghetsis said harshly, effortlessly masking the smirk that so wished to cross his lips. "That girl is influencing you too greatly. You need separation; time to clear your head"

N looked up at this. He wanted to protest, but found no voice. His father was correct; if he wanted to rule effectively, he mustn't let anything distract him.

"Yes, Father"

* * *

Touko sat anxiously on the edge of the bed, waiting for N to return. It had been six hours since Ghetsis had called him down, and she had not heard a word about what had happened to him.

The door opened, and Touko sprang up to greet N, but found the Goddesses instead.

"Where's N?" She demanded. The two women exchanged tentative glances.

"Master N is still with Sage Ghetsis" Concordia said sternly.

"What's happened?" Touko pushed. She rose and stood in front of the door, preventing them from exiting. "You're not leaving until you tell me"

"Sage Ghetsis has found out about your trip to Nimbasa" Concordia stated.

"Concordia-!" the pink-haired Goddess protested.

"There's no reason that she shouldn't know" the blonde Goddess rebutted. "Master N is being separated from you as punishment; he has much work to go through, so-"

"-he cannot be bothered" Anthea interrupted, icily.

"So I'm a bother?" Touko asked, crossing her arms and raising one brow challengingly.

"I'm sure that depends on who you ask…" Concordia chided dryly. Touko huffed and sat on the bed, arms still crossed. Everyone fell silent then, making the usually unnoticeable buzz of the intercom system very apparent.

"What about you two?" Touko finally asked. "How come you're staying with me"

"We've been asked to monitor you, by Sage Ghetsis" Anthea responded. "To make sure you try nothing… problematic" Touko rolled her eyes.

"What about N? Doesn't he trust me?"

"Given light of the current circumstances, Master N is unaware of this order" Concordia said. "However, the Master has asked for us to watch over you as well"

"... So, now what?" Touko asked, finally dropping her arms to her sides.

"What are your intentions with our Master?" Anthea asked unexpectedly in response.

"Anthea" Concordia cautioned, but the pink-haired Goddess waved her off.

"I don't know what you mean by that" Touko said roughly.

"Miss Touko, I don't believe that" Anthea said with a small smile. "If the chance presented itself, I'm sure you would flee faster than a Accelgor"

"Well it has; yet here I am" Touko retorted.

"Yes…" Anthea drawled out slowly. "Which leads me to believe that you conceal some ulterior motives"

Touko sat emotionless, concentrating all of her energy into trying not to give anything away in her face.

"What would make you have a change of heart so quickly?" Anthea continued. "I saw the hatred you harbored for the Master when you first arrived"

Touko frowned at the woman's harsh, keen eye. At this rate, it would definitely pose a problem in her plan to escape. "I was angry at him" Touko defended, carefully wording her responses. "I was being locked up under unfair pretenses and I-"

"Oh, please" Anthea cut her off, causing the teen's blood to begin boiling. "Even the most forgiving heart takes time to mend" She paused a moment before adding "Your shallow attempt at trying to forge an attachment to the Master is both pathetic and ludicrous"

"I'm not trying to forge anything!" Touko shrieked. "If it were my choice, I'd be back at home with my mother and friends struggling to adjust to this Pokemon liberation bullshit! Do you think it's fun being N's damn experiment when I could be with people who I _know_ care for me?"

"So you agree" Anthea said calmly, thoroughly confusing Touko. "Your friendship with the Master is simply a farce"

"I never said-" Touko tried to cut in, unsuccessfully.

"Ah, but it is inferred" The Goddess said. "You still hold resentment towards the Master, and prefer not to be with him"

"That's not what I meant-"

"I can read you very clearly, Miss Touko. No matter how hard you may try to get close to my King, I shall protect him from you" The Goddess then having given her final word on the subject turned towards the door and left, the other one quick to follow.


	13. Chapter 13

"Change quickly" Concordia's voice cut through Touko's dreamless sleep while the newly turned on lights nearly blinded her. She only caught a glimpse of the woman through squinted eyes before the Goddess had disappeared into the bathroom. With a grunt, Touko pushed herself up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as they adjusted to the harsh lighting. She blinked a few times before spotting a silver box at the foot of her bed, which Concordia had tossed at the half awake teen before entering the bathroom.

Curiously, Touko crawled over to it and lifted the lid. She inhaled sharply at the sight of a black dress as her hands absentmindedly went to lift it from the box. She held it against her frame a moment, despite kneeling, before quickly slipping it on and entering the bathroom.

"Sit" The older woman commanded as soon as she was inside. Touko could see that not only had she brought the dress, but a cosmetic bag lay open on the counter and the Goddess was holding a curling iron and looking at her expectantly. She obeyed, taking a seat in front of the counter. The last thing she wanted was to make an enemy of the other Goddess, too. She let loose a yawn as the Goddess began to work on her hair.

"What's this for?" Touko asked once she was aroused enough to question the strange circumstances.

"The Master has asked me to arrange a meeting for you two tonight" Concordia replied. "A reunion"

Touko tensed a bit at the mention of N. The thought of seeing him again made her nervous, seeing as it had been weeks since their separation had occurred. She knew that he would have Anthea and Concordia report her behavior to him, yet when she had asked either Goddess about him, neither even hinted that he wanted to speak with her, much less see her.

"He wants to see me?" Touko mumbled aloud, more to herself than to the other woman. It had been incredibly boring for her these past few weeks. Not to mention frustrating beyond belief, as she often lazed idly about in the room, when she could have otherwise been making some sort of progress had he been there.

But there was also a something else. She had grown accustomed to their living arrangement, not always minding the company of the older teen. In some ways, one might conclude that she even missed him. Either way, she definitely hadn't expected the Goddess to fetch her in the middle of the night, wielding a hair curler and cosmetics.

She remained silent as Concordia worked, wondering how her meeting with N would go. Different scenarios raced through her mind, ranging from awkward to angry to, most shockingly, romantic. She tried not to think of the latter too much, as she felt herself flush each time.

"Perfect" The Goddess remarked proudly when finished, shaking Touko of her embarrassment. She wished to question why she was getting a makeover for her meeting with N, but the words would not come, and Concordia was already halfway out the door.

Touko quickly followed after the Goddess, who lead her down a long corridor that she had never seen before. "Where's Anthea?" she inquired along the way, which first resulted in getting shushed.

"She is fast asleep by now, I'd imagine" Concordia responded much more quietly than Touko had spoken. Touko thought it strange; normally, the two worked as a team. She was about to question it, but she thought better of it, stopping abruptly as the Goddess paused at a door and unlocked it quickly. "Please leave the lights off. The Master would get into more trouble, should you two be caught" she ordered flatly.

Touko nodded and entered the room, taking careful steps as her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting. A small window provided just enough light to take in her surroundings. A bed- no, bed was an overstatement- a cot lay under it. Next to the bed was a small nightstand and trashcan. Oddly enough, it reminded her of her old cell.

She sat herself down on the bed, patiently waiting for N to walk through the door. Her mind began to wander again, this time to more practical things, like wondering why she got all dressed up if they were going to be in the dark anyway. The creaking of hinges sounded, and Touko stood up eagerly, all other thoughts pushed from her mind.

She watched him navigate the room carefully, just as she had when first adjusting. He looked worn out, the dark rings underneath his eyes prominent against his pale skin. His hair looked a bit wet, as if he had recently washed it, and he wore a clean dress shirt and black slacks.

His soft footsteps grew impossibly loud with each step, most likely the result of her own uneasiness. There was a slight glint in his eye once he spotted Touko, adding life to the emotionless expression she remembered.

He reached out, placing both arms on her shoulders with an iron grip, as if fearing that she would disappear. A shiver shot up her spine where his warm hands grazed her exposed flesh, but she did not flinch away. In a flurry of movements, Touko found herself enwrapped by N's long, slender arms. Shocked, she stood with her arms awkwardly pinned against her sides.

"I have missed you" N admitted softly. Touko relaxed a bit, wiggled her arms free and returned the gesture, squeezing the King lightly, the scent of his soap filling her nose. Relief poured through her veins, and she bunched together the fabric of his shirt, gripping it more tightly.

After a few moments he pulled back, examining Touko's face with the utmost vigilance. She looked different: her hair was longer than the last time he saw her, and her better features were more visible to him, like her long eyelashes and soft lips. His eyes traveled downward, admiring the skin that was usually covered by the jumpsuit he had made her wear.

"I'm surprised you called for me" Touko said slowly. "Especially at such a reasonable hour" she joked.

"I do apologize for what I am sure must have been a rude awakening" the King replied. "However, this was the most opportune time..." he began to trail off, though his eyes never left hers.

"So…" Touko began "now what?"

"I have planned something" N said, piquing Touko's interest. She raised a brow, and opened her mouth to speak, but N held up a hand. "It is a surprise" At that, Touko's bottom lip protruded ever so slightly, forming a pout. A small smile crossed the King's face and he let out a sigh. "We're going out"

"Out?" Touko parroted. He gave a small nod of his head and for her to follow him. She did warily, allowing him to lightly press his hand against her back as he led her out of the room. After too many stairs, they wound up on the roof of one tower, where Reshiram was patiently waiting.

N removed the hand from her back, and jumped on the Pokemon before offering her a hand. She took in, and despite the added stability, found herself stumbling into him. He caught her easily, before seating her in front of himself and taking off.

Wind whipped Touko's hair and skin, sending chills up and down her spine. She hardly noticed however, given the draw of the stars above them. Since Team Plasma's base was far from any major cities, the light pollution was less, making them shine much more brightly and in abundance.

"Where are we going?" Touko turned to ask N. She found him already looking at her, not that she was surprised. His eyes hadn't left her since they met. But even when shouting at the top of her lungs her voice was drowned out by the wind.

She turned back around, instead thinking of how weird it was that nothing _felt _weird. It was almost as if no time had passed between the two. They simply picked up where they left off.

After a while, city lights began to come into view, like rivers of light streaked through the earth in clumps. They were just far enough apart that you could tell where one city ended and where the next began.

Touko felt her stomach drop and felt N's arms tighten on either side of her, locking her in place for their descent. The Dragon-Type landed gracefully in a patch of dry dirt, nearby what she believed was Driftveil city. N bid the Pokemon farewell before hopping off and helping Touko.

"Why are we here?" Touko asked, now that she could be heard. The King did not answer her, but instead began walking away from the city, towards Route 6. She followed after him, growing quite curious by now. She quickened her stride to keep up with his brisk pace, feeling herself lightly perspire.

* * *

They stopped in front of Chargestone Cave, whose entrance gave off a faint blue glow. Touko, surprisingly winded, began collecting her breath. N stood in front of her, watching her curiously.

"I think… we should… invest in… a treadmill" Touko panted between breaths, slightly embarrassed by how low her stamina was. N let out a small laugh, at which she remarked "I would… hit you… but... I'm… exhausted…"

"I shall try to take it slower next time" N said as she straightened her back, fully recovered. "Shall we?" He asked, extending a hand towards her. She took it, and he led her through the mouth of the cave.

It was just as Touko had remembered it: blue rocks filled with electricity surrounded the walls and charged the floor, leaving small sparks at their feet as they walked. Some rocks levitated above them, all giving off the same blue hue.

As they made their way deeper into the cave, Touko took note of how many more Pokemon were visible now that travellers no longer passed through this way too often. Colonies of Ferroseed stuck close together high on cave walls, and small swarms of Joltik and Galvantula could be seen migrating within the cave. None of them paid attention to the two of them, who silently continued walking about.

They made their way to the furthest level of the cave before N stopped and dropped her hand. "Do you remember what I said to you? Months ago, when we shared a battle here?" He asked, still not facing Touko.

"You said a lot of things" Touko responded. Of course she had remembered. How could she forget, when he told her that she had been 'chosen'. Though, she wasn't quite sure if he meant that, or one of the other things he had told her before their battle.

"Look around you; we were not met with any resistance from the Pokemon" N said, turning towards her. His face bore the slight trace of a smile, and when he spoke, there was a lilt in his voice.

"They ignored us completely, actually" Touko recounted.

"Exactly" N agreed happily. "This place has become ideal without the presence of people. Did I not predict this" The normally stoic King dare not mask his enthusiasm. His smile was broadly spread across his handsome face, seeping triumph. It reminded Touko much of a little kid brandishing a drawing that they had just finished coloring. A smile made its way onto her own face at the sight. "Do you not agree?" He urged her.

"It has become a lot calmer" Touko admitted. "It's nice…" His face lit up at her concurrence.

"This is my vision" he said. "People and Pokemon living separately… see the wonderful effects it has?" Not quite sure how to respond, Touko remained silent. _Even if in this case it had turned out for the best, that did not make it true for the entirety of the issue_ She thought. Though, N's current mood, and her wish to avoid conflict kept her from voicing them.

His mood had elevated significantly since her agreeance with him, nay, since he saw her again. The past few weeks without her presence had been tedious and sluggish. He studied her face again, carefully, as if trying to memorize all of her features, taking note of how the blue glow of the cave illuminated her eyes. Her lips were glossy and slightly parted, and he was curious to feel their softness.

N took a step closer to her, slowly raising a hand and placing it on her cheek, gently rubbing his thumb over her bottom lip. Her eyes widened, making her nose look especially dainty. N loved the way they widened like that, when she was surprised. They travelled down his face a moment before returning to his gaze.

He began leaning forward, watching her eyes flutter shut just before he felt her lips meet his. He brought his other hand up to cup her face, feeling the warmth of her skin spread under his fingertips. The kiss was gentle, barely more than a peck before N backed up. Touko looked peaceful, as if just waking up from sleep, albeit her cheeks were flushed red.

"N…" she uttered breathily. Her eyes held a hint of fervor as they gazed up at him. "Kiss me" she requested, softly. He paused a moment, as if unsure of himself, before drawing closer to her and kissing her once more.

She refused to meet his gaze afterwards, even as he grabbed her hand and the two exited the cave. He helped her onto Reshiram before hopping on the beast himself and heading back for the castle. Instead of returning to the room they had met in, N quickly led them to his bedroom. He closed the door and locked it behind them, while Touko remained quietly watching him.

N turned to face her, intrigued by her behavioral change. "Touko..." He said cautiously. "Are you alright?" She continued to stare blankly at him.

"Did you not enjoy…?" He began trailing off.

"No, it's not that…" Touko finally spoke. _Arceus knows I definitely enjoyed it_ her thoughts ran wild. "I'm just shocked" she added. _That I want it to happen again..._

N's face scrunched in confusion. "Shocked?"

"I didn't expect _that _to happen" Touko said. _Why the hell had I let it happen?_ She internally screamed.

"I see" N said, nodding his head. "Goodnight" he said while pulling her into a hug, making the heat crawl back up Touko's neck. He quickly detached himself and offered her a small smile.

"Goodnight" she said halfheartedly as he exited the room. Once gone, Touko let out a frustrated whine. "What the hell is happening to me?"

* * *

The next day, Raz had stopped by.

"I heard you're practically on lockdown" he said as he entered the room. He wore the typical Team Plasma uniform, and was carrying a small plate of bite-sized doughnuts. He offered her one, and she popped it in her mouth.

"I'm always 'practically on lockdown'" she countered. She wore a pair of shorts and a t-shirt that she had borrowed last night to sleep in, not surprised to find the dress she wore last night gone from the chair she had placed it on in the morning.

"Fair enough" he said, placing the rest of the doughnuts on a small table before coming to join her on the bed. He sat on the edge next to Touko, turning his upper body towards her slightly. "I don't expect you were able to find anything else out?"

"Not really" Touko lamented with a shrug. Fragments from yesterday crossed her mind, making her blush heavily. When she tuned back into the present, Raz was repeatedly snapping his fingers in front of her face.

"Earth to Touko" he sung lightly.

"Sorry" she said sheepishly.

"Man, you were out of it for a while. What were you thinking about?"

"Nothing!" Touko said a little too quickly. Raz raised a brow at her doubtingly.

"Now I'm really convinced" he said.

_I begged N to kiss me_ she thought about saying aloud. She wondered what Raz's face might look like; shocked, disappointed, most likely. He'd warned her before about getting too close. She would handle it. It was best to keep this information to herself, even if it was Raz.

"Nothing" Touko repeated, more firmly this time. He continued staring at her, eyes boring into her skull as if to find the answer inscribed in her brain. It unnerved her.

"Fine" He finally said after a while. "I have to get back to work" He stood up and exited the room, leaving the plate of doughnuts behind. Touko took another one and ate it unenthusiastically.

"I begged N to kiss me" she said aloud to herself.

* * *

"Good morning, Father" N greeted the older man from behind the day's mountain of paperwork. He hadn't bothered to look up as he continued to sign and read through the documents. "What brings you here?"

"You have a meeting with the press scheduled in an hour" Ghetsis replied gruffly, making the teen look up.

"On such short notice?" N asked with a frown. "In regards to what?"

"There have been several more outbreaks from rebels" Ghetsis spat distastefully. "We must contain the damage and keep our appearance up. Show them the strength the King of Unova possesses!"

N nodded his head a few times. "What about Touko? Will she be required to watch?"

The older man did little to mask his disgust at the mention of the girl. "Absolutely" Ghetsis barked. "She would do well to remember your power" he added before stalking out of the office, robes trailing behind him.

The King released his pen, letting it hit the desk with a dull THUD before standing up and exiting the room as well. He wished he had more time today, he thought as he took longer strides than usual. He stopped at a pair of golden double doors, not bothering to make his appearance known before entering.

"Master" Concordia exhaled as he sat himself on her bed, visibly agitated. "What is wrong?" She asked, moving from the vanity where she was seated to stand in front of him. She began stroking his hair soothingly, like she did when he was a child.

"She begged me to kiss her" he said with an exasperated shake of his head.

"Who, Master? Ms. Touko?" Concordia guessed. She had waited for the pair to return last night before retiring, though she hadn't had the chance to ask how it went.

"Yes" This was news to the Goddess; she hadn't thought anything romantic could spring from a situation such as theirs. And yet-

"Who begged you?" Anthea asked harshly, arms crossed over her chest and a frown painted across her face. Neither one of them had heard her come in.

"Anthea..." Concordia began, slowly approaching her sister. The pink-haired Goddess' eyes widened and her mouth opened in protest at the wordless confirmation of her assumption. She turned around, making a move to head for the door, but was jerked back by her wrist.

"Concordia, let go of me!" Anthea whispered murderously as she tried to free her arm. "How could you arrange for him to see that- that-"

"Enough" N said, standing up and towering over the two women. Anthea stopped moving to break free, and her sister released her wrist. "Do not be displeased with Concordia. It was my idea"

"Natural?" Anthea breathed, just as she would when scolding him as a child. "Disobeying your father's order. You should be ashamed of yourself"

"I had to see her" N tried to explain "I cannot explain it" he sighed, moving back to the bed and taking a seat.

"She is hiding something" Anthea tried to reason. "I don't know what, but she cannot be trusted. You can't allow her to get closer to you"

"If it is any consolation, I did kiss her first" N added sheepishly.

Anthea let out a deep, ragged breath. "Natural…" she sighed. "I suppose I am not to tell Ghetsis about this?"

"That would be for the best" Concordia agreed.

"Please..." N pleaded.

"Alright" she said, tiredly. "But you must go. You have a press conference, do you not?" She said while brushing the young King's hair with her fingers.

"Thank you" He gave each woman a quick hug before exiting the door. As soon as it closed, Anthea turned to her sister with anger coating her expression and words.

"We need to talk"

* * *

"What's this for?" Touko demanded. Two Plasma grunts began installing a large flat screen television in front of the bed. Neither answered her question, much to her annoyance. She held back curses, instead pouting atop the sheets until the grunts left. Shortly afterwards, N appeared on the screen, dressed in his royal attire. Next to him a beautiful young red-headed woman sat flashing her best winning smile at the camera.

"Good evening! I'm Gina Winthrow with Unova News; Your primary source of information concerning all things Unova! Tonight, we have a special guest, the King of Unova himself, Natural Harmonia Gropius!"

A few seconds of applause sounded, during which N raised a hand to the crowd, smiling charismatically.

"It's a pleasure to have you here" Gina said warmly, placing her hand lightly on N's robed arm.

"It is a pleasure to be here" he recited just as warm. Touko resisted the urge to gag aloud at the sight. Sure, it was all for show; but that didn't mean that it still didn't bother her.

"So tell us," Gina became serious. Touko was happy to see her arm drop back to her side. "What are your thoughts on the riots that have been plaguing the nation after your infamous 'Law of Separation?'"

"It is a sad day to see divisions amongst such a great country, such as Unova" he began effortlessly. "And my heart goes out to all of those who have been affected by them. But it still holds true that people and Pokemon being separated is a good thing. I wish I could make everyone see that."

"You say Pokemon and people being separated is a good thing, but where is the proof?"

"Just last night, I was examining Chargestone Cave, and was delightfully surprised to find it far more lively than when Trainers _invaded_. The Pokemon were living far more peaceful lives without constant battling and being captured"

At the mention of the cave, Touko felt herself flush. Despite not having even said her name, Touko felt oddly exposed, as if he had just told all of Unova about their night out. She grabbed a pillow and buried her face in it.

Three loud shots sounded, snapping Touko's attention back toward the screen. "Hey, King!" Someone on the screen yelled. The voice sounded distant, as if they were far away from the camera. Gina was pale as a ghost-type, looking at something off camera.

N turned expressionless, his jaw was tightly clenched, the muscles in his neck tense. "Let everyone here go" He spoke calmly. "You want me. Do not harm the others"

"Get out!" The same voice shouted much closer this time. Footsteps and screams could be heard in the background. Gina ran off camera, tears smearing her makeup slightly. The barrel of a small handgun was just visible in the top right corner of the TV.

Touko's eyes hadn't moved from N since the first shots had fired. Ice flowed through her veins all the way to her heart, which threatened to burst from her chest. Her breathing had halted quite some time ago as well.

"Your reign of terror ends here" the voice said, raising the gun straight at N, now out of the camera's line of sight. His eyes fixated on it, but he kept his composure. A final shot sounded just before the cable cut out.

* * *

Hi! Sorry for not updating in a looong time... I will admit that I got a tad lazy with updates. As a reward, this chapter is slightly longer. Sorry for all the bombs dropped in this chapter too! There wasn't a specifically _good_ place to break it up however, so I apologize if you guys feel overwhelmed. Please let me know what you guys think!


	14. Chapter 14

The steady beeping rhythm of a heart rate monitor welcomed Touko from sleep. She was sitting in a chair, hunched over the side awkwardly so that she could sleep there. Slowly, she began shifting to a regular seating position, her back and neck cramped from her nap.

The room was small and plain, with no windows to allude to what time it might be. All of the furniture was startlingly white, and the harsh fluorescent lights that shone down on everything in the room gave it a strange dreamlike quality.

Across the room, N lay motionless in a hospital bed. His unruly green hair, one of the only bursts of color in the room, was tied loosely behind him. Multiple IV's extended from his arms, sticking strangely out from his pale skin. A nasal cannula sat under his nose and wrapped around his ears, though he seemed to be breathing from his mouth, which was slightly ajar.

After the shooting, N had gone into surgery immediately to extract the bullet and stop the bleeding. He was hit on his left shoulder, right near his chest; the bullet had missed major organs and arteries by mere inches.

There was much controversy regarding her visiting N, mainly due to the fact that she was technically a prisoner. Getting to see him had been a days-long battle, as Anthea and Ghetsis were highly opposed. That and most of the Plasma members didn't trust her, especially around their now exceedingly vulnerable King.

Only after he was stable had she been allowed to come, although she was required to have an escort at all times. No one was particularly thrilled when they announced this; No one wanted to have to babysit Touko. However, one member had volunteered to stay as long as she did, even if the hours extended beyond regular work hours.

"Glad you're awake" the man said, coming into the room. From the corner of her eye, Touko saw that Raz held a bag, but her eyes refused to leave the sleeping King. "Clothes and toiletries" Raz explained after placing it beside her.

"Thanks" Touko said, quietly, though she seemed a million miles from here. The older male observed her carefully, noting the monotony of her voice and her hazy, unfocused eyes. Her slightly gaunt-looking face made him want to question when the last time she ate was, but he thought better of it.

"Arceus, I knew people weren't happy, but I never imagined anyone would pull a stunt like this…" Raz said with a shake of his head. "Even with his title and all, he's still just a man" Unsurprisingly, Touko said nothing, letting the room lapse back into a melancholy silence.

She'd been here about two days straight, only getting about five hours of sleep on and off between the two of them. Somehow, she had yet to catch him while he was awake. In the back of her mind, she registered the sound of the door opening again and Raz whispering "Incoming" to her before stepping out of the room. Moments later, the two Goddesses entered. Neither paid attention to her, as they focused all of their energy on N.

"How is he?" Touko asked when they were done, her voice slightly hoarse from disuse. Both women stopped and stared at her blankly for a moment. "Well?" she pressed, a cracking sound interrupting her midway through. She cleared her throat and repeated herself, this time more firmly.

"Miss Touko" Anthea began, only half trying to hide her dislike. Her hands were clasped in front of her, and her pink hair was in a tight knot at the base of her neck. "I think it'd be best if you had gone back to your room"

"That's not an answer" said teen shot back, more irritable than usual. Her arms crossed defensively over her chest and frown formed on her face. "And I'm not going anywhere" The Goddess made a sour face and anger swelled within Touko. "Look, Anthea, I know you don't like or trust me. But can't you get past that, at least for now? I care about N, too. You can't expect me to be lying about that damn room while he's here" When it came out, Touko sounded more tired than angry. Anthea barely batted an eye and went back to tending to N. Concordia, who had gone back to work as soon as her sister had spoken, refused to meet her eye.

The room was filled with an awkward silence from then on out, with the exception of Concordia whispering "He will be alright. He is just resting" before exiting the room, leaving just Touko and the other Goddess. She sat in the chair next to Touko, neither of them speaking to the other. They stayed like that awhile, until the stirring of the boy before them caught both of their attention.

"Natural" Anthea cooed while going to his bedside and began stroking his hair. She glanced back at Touko, a small look of triumph covering her face. Touko looked away, restraining herself from lunging at the woman and slapping that smug look off of her face.

"Touko…" a throaty voice muttered lowly, capturing said girl and the older woman's attention. Said woman stopped stroking her beloved King's hair, and took a few steps back, shock and hurt etched across her features.

"I'm here" Touko said softly, moving to stand where Anthea was. She could feel the accusatory glare that Anthea was giving her burn through the back of her head, but she ignored it. Slowly his eyes opened, looking straight at Touko. "How are you feeling?" She asked concernedly, her eyes scanning his body quickly, though she refrained from touching him, fearing that she might hurt him. Up close, she could see the dark grey circles around his eyes, which only seemed to make him look paler.

"Like hell" N said heavily. Touko's eyes widened a little at his vulgarity. Never before had she heard him say anything quite like that.

"Do you need anything, Master?" Anthea asked from behind Touko. There was a slight waver to her voice due to her bruised ego. His green eyes drifted over to the woman before meeting Touko's blue ones again.

"No, thank you" he said. "Just privacy" he added, which the Goddess nodded her head at. She headed for the door, and Touko was about to head back to do the same when she heard a quiet "Please stay" She turned her attention to the wounded King, curiosity splayed across her features.

"Alright" she said, bringing up a chair right next to his bedside. Though when she sat, she leaned back in it, as if afraid to be too close to him. N stared at her strangely.

"You look worried" N drew out slowly, eyes blinking occasionally. Speaking in full sentences alone seemed to pain him.

"You scare the hell out of me" Touko admitted. N raised his eyebrows at this slightly, though he didn't say anything. Touko hesitated a moment before adding "You could have died"

"That man had the wrong idea" N said with a small shake of his head, his voice still breathy. "Someone would continue my work if I had" Touko had the feeling that by 'someone' he meant Ghetsis. She tried to imagine what life under his rule would be and shivered at the thought.

"You should probably get some more rest" she said anxiously. Though she longed to talk to him, she couldn't stand seeing him in pain. She stood up, hurried over to the bag that Raz brought her and picked it up and entered his room's bathroom. She stayed in there a while, mostly to avoid N's wounded looks.

When she came back out she was dressed in a t-shirt and shorts, her hair in a small ponytail. N's eyes were closed, to which Touko let out a sigh of relief. She shut off the bright lights and went back to her chair by him, sitting so her feet were resting on his bed before dozing off for the night herself.

* * *

N reopened his eyes when he was certain that Touko had fallen asleep. She looked uncomfortably bunched in her seat, even with her legs extended. He wished the small room could allow for some better seating for her to lay on, like a couch.

He had overheard her and Anthea's conversation in bits and pieces. He was a tad thrown by her blatancy with the older woman, specifically the way she was able to clearly tell her how she felt, something she had been more reserved about when talking to him. When she had suggested he rest, he wanted to protest; there was something about her recent behavior that had been off, and he wished to ask her about it. But his current condition left him in no shape for argument.

He gazed at her sleeping face, which was propped up on a loose, closed fist. Her worry from earlier left no trace; Instead she looked peaceful, stray pieces of hair streaking across her lidded eyes, her cheeks. Her breathing was light and airy, and N noticed that his own was in sync with hers. He had read somewhere that it was common for lovers' heartbeats and breathing to sync when near each other. He was tempted to reach over and take her pulse and compare it with his own.

That was another thing he wished to clarify. From what she had described, 'friends' was not an appropriate title for them any longer.

"Touko" N whispered the next morning. When she did not immediately stir, he said it more loudly. The brunette jerked awake, her feet leaving the bed and landing on the floor to support herself. "I am sorry to wake you" N spoke softly. "I require some assistance"

"Sure" she yawned while arching her back. When she took another look at him, she noticed that piles of papers that hadn't been there the night before sat all around him, permitting little movement.

"Could you read these documents aloud to me? I have many to go through and my thoughts are much too disorganized" N said before she could ask any questions.

"Um, N, maybe you should take it easy" Touko said slowly, her eyes wide. "You were just _shot_" she added, making sure to emphasize the fact.

"I've already missed a week's worth" N replied with a sigh and a slight frown. "And a King's work is never done"

"Even a King is allowed sick days" Touko argued, her brow furrowing slightly. "You're still a person, no matter your title. Besides, can you even sign any of these?" She asked picking up a paper from the closest stack. N took it as a challenge, positioning a pen in his left hand and attempting to sign his name. He didn't even mark the page before he let out a sharp cry, dropped the pen and clutched his injured shoulder with his other hand.

Touko sprung to her feet, placing a hand atop of his right one. Worry coated her gaze, her other hand moving to his hair in a feeble attempt to distract from the pain. Once it had subsided, N straightened up, his breathing harsh. He removed his hand from his shoulder and found it stained a tad red.

"Perhaps you are right" N said raggedly as Touko moved to check on his stitches.

"You've popped a few of them" Touko said. She grabbed his hand and placed it back over the wound, applying pressure. N let out another small cry of pain as she did. "Sorry. Just keep putting pressure. I'll get Anthea" she said before moving to the phone. N watched her body language as she dialed. She was tense all over, and her responses were curt.

A few minutes later, the pink-haired Goddess appeared, a needle and thread in hand. She quickly removed the old bandages and cleaned the area before stitching him up, good as new. "Master, you must take it easy" Anthea scolded.

"That's what I said" Touko mumbled under her breath.

"You should listen to Miss Touko" Anthea said in agreement, surprising everyone. "Concordia and I will come and fetch these so you do not have to worry about them" She left hastily after discarding the old bandages.

"Here" Touko said holding out her hands to him. In one hand, she was holding a rag. N confusedly gave her his hand, which she began wiping the blood from gently. "You've got to be careful" she reprimanded halfheartedly.

"I am sorry for worrying you" the King apologized. Touko let out a sigh before looking him in the eye. Her small strokes with the rag ceased slowly.

They remained like that a while, neither of them saying a word to the other. Then the Goddesses came back with a few grunts to remove the work papers, snapping Touko from their staring contest. She quickly discarded the dirty rag and went to go clean her hands.

When she came back, N was free from the encasing papers, and there was no one else left in the room. "Are you hungry?" She asked, returning to his bedside.

"No, I am actually quite nauseous" N grimaced lightly.

"Do you want me to call Anthea again?" Touko asked, her face still highly concerned, and body tense.

"No, it is bearable" he replied with a shake of his head. Seeing no relief ease Touko from her high-strungedness, N added "You must try to relax. I will recover." with a wry smile. Touko flushed at being called out, but a small smile managed it's way onto her face. The two lulled into a comfortable silence, Touko idly playing with her hair. N touched his own subconsciously and almost cringed at the feel of it.

"What's that face for?" Touko laughed lightly after looking up at him. His face was contorted with disgust: his brows were furrowed, his nose was scrunched and a frown replaced the smile that lay there moments ago.

"I need a shower" said boy stated matter of factly.

"Oh" said Touko growing serious. "I should go then" she added, rising in her seat quickly.

"I would rather you did not, actually" N divulged, causing heat to spike in Touko's face. "As a safety precaution" he explained quickly, as to not to come off as suggestive as he sounded.

"Are you sure you wouldn't prefer Anthea and Concordia?" Touko stammered, blush still decorating her face.

"I trust you" N responded. looking directly in her eyes as he said it.

"Alright" Touko said calmly. "I'll be in here. Yell if you need me" she said, taking a seat back in her chair. Happy with her compliance, the King threw back the covers, swung his legs over the bed and began walking into the bathroom. Touko tried not to look as he passed her, for the hospital gown he wore had come loose and showed a bit more of himself than she had expected to see.

* * *

"_I trust you"_ N's voice rang in her head on loop ever since he had said it. She had reported this to Raz, who coincidentally had showed himself while the other teen was in the shower. He seemed pleased; she thought that when this moment finally happened that she might feel something like an achievement being unlocked, or at the least, triumph. Instead, she felt more of a numb sensation spread throughout her body.

N came out of the shower minutes after Raz had left, a dark green robe hiding his form. His long green hair was still wet and was slicked back from his face. He looked so different with it off of his forehead; it seemed to elongate his face. Touko couldn't help but stare at him. If anything, it only made him more handsome.

Not the least bit disturbed by her staring, N strutted back to the bed and made himself comfortable again. He closed his eyes and let his arms rest on his stomach, taking deep, slightly painful breaths. Touko watched his chest rise and fall, hypnotized by the grace only he seemed to possess when doing so.

A knock at the door snatched her from her stupor, and Touko closed her mouth, which had hung open, much to her embarrassment, when N had come from the bathroom.

"Come in" N said surprisingly loudly, though his eyes remaining closed.

Ghetsis entered the room, closing the door forcefully behind him. He was out of his robes for once, instead wearing a black suit with a red tie, whose only purpose appeared to be to accentuate his glowing red eye.

"Did you forget about your meetings this afternoon?" The older man spat harshly at his son, who opened his eyes upon hearing that it was his father.

"My apologies, Father. It had slipped my mind" N said evenly to the Sage.

"That seems to be the case whenever _she _is present" Ghetsis snarled, looking directly at Touko, who resisted the urge to shrink bank into her seat. She thought it strange, even for him, that the only visit that Ghetsis had made thus far was to admonish his son. Especially because of how hard he had worked to shelter N his entire life. She knew that he did not love N, not like a parent should. But she figured he might care about whether he lived or not to some degree.

"Touko is not-" N began.

"No, he's right, N" Touko interrupted, shocking even herself. Ghetsis narrowed his eyes at her, while his son's did the opposite. "I mean, it's not like you were recently _shot_" she seethed. "Or popped some stitches _today _because you tried to work and physically can't sign documents without that happening" she added. "But here I am, distracting you. It's not like you need to rest or anything" Ghetsis's face twisted into a mask of pure hatred at her colorful commentary, while N remained quietly staring at her in disbelief.

"I expect you to attend those meetings" Ghetsis barked at the King before angrily storming from the room. The door slammed much more loudly on the way out, and Touko sat shaking in her seat: half from fear, and half from anger.

"Touko" N murmured softly in an attempt to calm her. "It is alright. Ghetsis is looking out for my best interest. Trying to keep me on track" he defended. _That's not how a parent should act _Touko thought bitterly. Nonetheless, N went to change for the meeting, leaving Touko alone in the small room.

A little time had passed before the door opened again. Thinking that it would be N, Touko was shocked to find Anthea before her.

"Miss Touko" she said slowly. "I would like to apologize for my recent behavior" Touko sat completely still, too startled to say much. "Perhaps I was wrong about you; You've been so adamant about staying with him through this whole ordeal, including dealing with things most unpleasant for you, I'd imagine" She took a brief pause. "I heard what you did for Natural" she sighed and sat on the bed. "While I admire your standing up to Ghetsis, it was one of the stupidest possible things you could have done to yourself" she smiled ruefully. "Be prepared to face whatever he may throw at you, or Natural because of it"

She stood back up and headed towards the door. She opened it, but turned to Touko before exiting and added "Oh, and Miss Touko. If you hurt Natural, you will have far worse things to fear than Ghetsis. That I can assure you"


	15. Chapter 15

_If you hurt Natural, you will have far worse things to fear than Ghetsis._

"Touko" N said, snapping the brunette out of her stupor. He sat behind his desk, a week's worth of documents littered the top of it, separating the two. His left arm was in a sling, acting more as a restraint rather than a necessity. She had been helping him catch up on the work that he had missed now that he was doing better. That meant a lot of long days of reading for her, and summing up the documents that she read before N saw them, so he could more quickly decide if they should be passed or vetoed.

"Sorry" she uttered and went back to taking notes on a request for previously domesticated Pokemon to visit sick people in hospitals. She hastily scribbled the last few details and handed it to N, who scanned her notes quickly before looking up at her.

"What do you think about this request?" He asked coolly. There was a hint of curiosity in the thoughtful look he gave her, the kind that he bore when he had asked her to clarify customs that he didn't quite understand.

"I think that it would be a nice surprise to the people of Unova. It would show compassion at least" she pressed, trying to convince him to allow for such a thing. She saw him nod his head and scrawl a note onto the page, while she tried to hide her satisfaction. It had not been an immediate rejection at least.

After a few more hours of work, N suggested that they order something to eat before the kitchen closed, as they'd be working through the night for the third time this week. Not having a particular taste for anything, Touko told him to order whatever he felt like having, although she did propose that he get some coffee as well. When food arrived, they took a break, seating themselves on the small couch while the food lay on the table in front of them.

"You weren't kidding about work never being done" Touko yawned before pouring herself a cup of coffee, then offering N one too, though he respectfully declined. She didn't bother adding cream or sugar, mostly because she feared she'd become diabetic from this week alone, with all of the cups that she had already drunk. The two otherwise ate in silence, conserving their energy for the night before them.

N had finished first and was resting his head against the back cushion, his eyes closed. The lighting in the office was fairly high, so she was a bit surprised to find N snoring softly. She got up and dimmed the lights a bit, sat back down, and closed her own eyes for a moment. Despite the caffeine coursing through her veins, Touko could feel her lids growing heavy. She agreed to let herself have a small rest, yet when her eyes reopened it was daylight outside.

_Be prepared to face whatever he may throw at you, or Natural because of it _Anthea's voice echoed in Touko's mind as she woke up. She was curled up on her side, her head resting on N's lap. "Hey, N, wake up" she yawned halfheartedly. She knew that she ought to wake him up, but she stayed, too comfortable to move. Instead, she closed her eyes and listened to the steady rhythm of N's breathing.

After a while, N woke, stirring beneath Touko. He paused once he noticed her, not wanting to wake her up, though, it was hardly the first time that they'd been in this situation this week. "It's okay" Touko said, softly. "I'm awake" N let out a sigh of relief. He placed a hand on her arm and squeezed it lightly. "We should go back to work" Touko sighed contently.

"Touko…" he drew out slowly, pausing a moment to wipe some hair away from her face. She leaned into his touch, he eyes slowly opening as well. N drew out a long sigh.

"Yes?" Touko asked, turning towards him curiously. He shook his head once. "Alright" she shrugged, sitting up a moment later. She walked over to the desk and began looking through the rest of the documents. He joined her, slipping into his chair on the other side.

He watched her work as he waited for the documents to come his way, watched the way her brows furrowed as she read, and the constant biting of her lip. He hypothesized that, if given the chance, he could stare at her without growing tired for the rest of his life. She made even the most mundane tasks worth observing.

"Hey, how's your shoulder?" she asked, glancing at it. She had released her lip and bore an expression similar to concern, but not as severe. Caught up in his thoughts, it took N a minute before responding.

"The limited mobility is the worst of it" N admitted, which Touko nodded her head at. She handed him a few documents that she had already read through and analyzed. He snatched them, sifting through them though his mind still lay elsewhere. By the time they had finished, it was evening and both teens were exhausted.

"We make a pretty good team" Touko said sleepily, resting her head on his desk. She fell asleep quickly after that, and N took the opportunity to look at her more. Although, he couldn't imagine that being asleep like that could have been comfortable. He called the Goddesses, arranging for them to move Touko to his room without waking her. When they came to get her, he followed in suit, crawling into bed with her once the other women had left.

* * *

Touko awoke the next day somehow feeling more tired than when she fell asleep. She was sore all over from her past week and a half from sleeping in various chairs. N was nowhere in sight, which seemed more strange now that they had spent the past week practically joint at the hip. She quickly showered, finding N back in the room when she came out.

"Good morning" Touko greeted, letting her hair out of its towel and throwing it over the back of a nearby chair. The wet chocolate locks cascaded nearly to her waist now, the tips just beginning to curl.

"Good afternoon is more appropriate" N said warmly. "You slept nearly 24 hours" he added incredulously. Looking from the corner of her eye, she saw that his sling was gone, and he was wearing what he normally would wear when she saw him around Unova: a white shirt, open deep near the collar with a black turtleneck underneath, tan slacks, and his hat. Around his neck hung the spacial-like necklace that she hadn't seen him wear in what felt like ages. A box was between his hands, and N was tapping the lid lightly with his fingertips.

"What's in the box?" she asked, nodding to it slightly with her head.

"It's for you" N said, handing it to her. She took it, lifting the lid to find a plain black t-shirt and jean shorts.

"So, where are we going today?" Touko asked skeptically, closing the lid of the box again. N raised his brows to her, a bemused expression spreading across his face.

"Why are you so confident that we are leaving the building?" he questioned. There was a slight lilt in his voice as he spoke. He was definitely in higher spirits than the past few weeks. Although, even when wounded, he never really lost any of his confidence. And now that he was almost healed, his lively buzz was nearly tangible. It was contagious.

"Well, generally, whenever I wear something other than a jumpsuit, we go out" Touko shot back, arms crossed over her chest. A smirk worked its way onto her face, clearly impressed with her own ability to catch his patterns.

"Observant" the King praised, a smile finding its way onto his lips. "But I did not plan for us to go anywhere today" Touko's smirk dropped, quickly replaced with confusion.

"Then why-"

"I was considering relieving you of that jumpsuit" N explained. " I find it no longer necessary" Touko's wide eyes blinked a few times. "Though if you still wish to wear it-"

"No this is fine" Touko interrupted, hastily. She was gazing up at him favorably, a big smile on her face. N's chest contracted, and a warm sensation filled him at the fact that _he _was the reason for her expression.

"I trust that they will fit you" N said casually. "I think now would be an appropriate time to change". Touko nodded, quickly changing in the bathroom and coming back out.

"How do I look?" she asked from the doorframe of the bathroom. N stared her form up and down once slowly.

"Like Touko" he said with a small smile. Truthfully, the response left said girl a bit puzzled, but she didn't bother with asking him to explain himself. She moved past him and laid on the bed, her hands resting loosely on her stomach. N sat next to her, looking down at her. "I really must thank you. You've been extremely helpful these past few weeks" he said. A small silence grew quickly between them, and when Touko looked up at him he no longer was smiling. "I was worried that I would not see you again. During the shooting" he continued somberly, his voice lowering. N sat her up, gently taking a hand in his.

"N?" Touko said questioningly. Her heart began beating faster, either from the contact or N's shift in mood. She had no idea where he was going with this, or why he was even bringing it up.

"Touko, I want to continue seeing you" N disclosed. She stared up at him inquisitively, millions of questions swimming through her mind. "Touko" N breathed, resting his head on her shoulder. Taken aback by his confession, Touko hesitated a moment before stroking his hair comfortingly with one hand. Something cool hit her thigh, and using her other hand Touko reached for it. She lifted it, turning the spherical object that hung around his neck in her hand.

"I'm right here" Touko reassured somewhat detached, still not sure where this was coming from. "And I thought the same thing" she continued. At the mention of this, N's head snapped back up. His green-grey eyes were glassy, almost like he was on the verge of tears. "N, are you ok-" Her question was cut off abruptly. The only thing Touko felt was his mouth on hers.

This kiss was different than any that they had shared: it was far more intense and desperate than its predecessors. His hands wrapped around her and pulled her tightly to him. A soft grunt of pleasure escaped his throat at the friction. He began kissing her harder, urging her to deepen the kiss. She granted him access, and he slipped his tongue from between his lips and into her parted ones. The pleasurable sensation shocked Touko, who let out a small moan of satisfaction.

Then suddenly he was halfway across the room, evading her muddled gaze. He exited the room before she could make sense of anything, much less ask him about it. She stiffened, not quite sure if she should follow after him. Before she could think too deeply, she was already on her feet, searching blindly for any indication of where he had gone.

When she reached the hallway, no one was there but a few grunts, who shot strange looks at her in their passing. Childishly, she made a face at their backs before continuing her search. She would check his office, first. Then his old bedroom, perhaps even the throne room…

* * *

N had been nowhere that she had imagined that he would be. She returned to the room worn out from the lack of adrenaline, with just as any questions as before, if not more. She laid back on the bed thinking back to the kiss. She had definitely enjoyed it, that much was evident by her moans and the blush that now burned her face as she remembered it. But what really felt strange was the suddenness and desperation of it. She craved to know what had prompted him to act out of character.

The real worrying began when he didn't return that night, however. She had waited perched on the bed until her eyes could no longer stay open. When she woke, she found not the slightest disturbance to the room, nothing to expose that he had entered the room at all. With a slightly shaking hand she pressed the call button that resided on the wall besides her.

"Yes, Miss Touko?" Anthea's familiar voice asked, slightly staticy.

"Do you know where N is?" she asked, clearing her throat before as to not come off as too eager.

"He has meetings to attend all day, I'm afraid"

"Thanks" Touko mumbled halfheartedly. She headed back out of the room and down to his office, surely where the meetings would take place. From down the length of the hallway, she could see two grunts stationed at the door. With a frown, she approached them, attempting to walk right past them, but was stopped.

"The King is in a meeting" one of the two said sternly.

"He isn't to be bothered" the other chimed in.

"This is ridiculous!" Touko said loudly, to which the two shot poisonous glares. She wanted answers, and she was going to get them. "Tell him it's me. He'll let me in" Touko demanded, folding her arms over her chest, determined to get past them.

"Need I remind you of your status, _prisoner_?" the first grunt spat icily at her, his eyes narrowed slits. Despite it being true, Touko felt anger rise in her, ready to retort when-

"Is there a problem here?" a strong, familiar voice sounded from behind her. Looking back in surprise, she saw Raz.

"Yes, sir" The first grunt said, voice now devoid of any arrogance. "She is trying to disrupt the King's current meeting. We are under orders to keep anyone from entering"

"Good work, men" Raz said finitely. His eyes flicked to Touko and rested there. "I'll take care of this one" Raz said, grabbing Touko lightly by the arm and taking her with him. They stopped at a strange door that seemed to have sprung from the wall. Raz slid a card and entered a short passcode before the door gave way and he shuddled them both inside.

* * *

"Make yourself comfortable" Raz said, gesturing to the small couch in the corner of the room. She obeyed, watching him silently as he began removing his uniform, revealing him to be in a sleeveless shirt and black shorts. Touko laughed a bit at his casual choice of clothing, which caught his attention. "Is something funny?" he asked.

"It's nothing. I've just never seen you where anything other than your uniform" Touko explained, composing herself. Looking around the room, Touko noticed that it wasn't very large, though it was still spacious enough and nicely decorated. "So this place is yours? Now I see why they have so many members. Private rooms for every member..."she trailed off.

Raz let out a bit of laughter. "Grunts have shared rooms. This-" he made a sweeping gesture with his arms "-is because I am a Lieutenant" Touko's eyes widened and her mouth formed into an 'O' shape, which earned her another laugh from Raz.

"How did you… When I first met you…" Touko staggered.

"I was barely above a grunt" Raz finished, sitting on the corner of his bed. "But after the shooting, and completing a few other tasks, I was given an upgrade" He was looking at her, a toothy grin on his face. His hair had grown since she had seen him, and his eyes seemed darker somehow. There was no denying that he was attractive. "Anyway, what kind of trouble have you been getting into lately?"

"Me? Trouble?" Touko said with feigned shock, resting a hand over her heart dramatically. "Never" she added, making them both laugh.

"By the look on your face back there, I wouldn't have thought that 'no' was in your vocabulary" Raz said once the laughter had begun to lull. He was surveilling her, his grey eyes sharp. "Seriously, what's got you so agitated?" he asked. He was staring at her legs, which were moving bouncing up and down nervously, unconsciously. Following his stare, she stopped abruptly.

"I just need to talk to N" she tried her best to say it nonchalantly. He was still staring at her in a way that made her want to squirm. He moved to sit next to her, his massive frame overwhelming her much smaller one.

"Touko, you can trust me. You know that, don't you?" he said evenly. Of course she could trust him. Their relationship had been founded on a leap of faith. And he had proven to her far more than once that he was trustworthy. Yet she couldn't bring herself to tell him. Not without feeling like it would betray him.

"Of course" she replied instead, a smile drawing up the corners of her mouth. "There's just not much to say. I just wanted to clarify something with N" she added, she hoped, reassuringly. His expression was unreadable.

Raz let out a small sigh. "Since I'm trusted enough, I won't be needing you for data collection any longer"

"So, what should I do?" Touko asked, her interest piqued. For a moment, any thought of speaking with N was wiped from her brain, almost as if she'd forgotten it.

"Bide your time" Raz said. "It won't be for much longer. My contacts and I have begun to form a plan for your escape" Touko's heart stopped a moment, but she wasn't quite sure that it was from joy. He began delving into the major workings of the plan, constantly reminding her that things would need to be fine tuned. She found listening to Raz grow progressively harder, as her own thoughts held her attention. She would get to go home, get to see her family, friends.

But she would also be leaving _N_. Her felt a twinge of pain in her chest at the thought. After all, he was the one responsible for keeping her away from her friends and family. The fact that she felt anything other than hatred for him was absurd. And yet…

_How could something that felt so right, so natural, be wrong?_


	16. Chapter 16

Warning: Lemon in this chapter

* * *

"Touko...?" the King asked upon his return to the bedroom, trailing off at the sight of the empty bed. He worriedly moved towards the bathroom, flinging the door open without knocking, shocked to find it empty as well. He walked back out just as the door was opening. Touko stood in the doorway laughing warmly, the comfortable way you might with someone you've known for a long time. She bid a Plasma member, the source of her laughter N presumed, goodbye before closing the door. N felt something ugly rise within his chest.

"You're back" Touko said, startled upon seeing the green-haired figure in the room. He wasted no time meeting her, gripping her in an embrace that was far too tight. She carefully untangled herself from him, the unmistakable sting of rejection across his face.

"Where were you?" He demanded rushedly.

"I was looking for you"

"And that required the help of somebody _else_?" He shot back, a twinge of anger in his eyes as he glanced at the closed door quickly.

"Generally, when looking for someone, the more people the better" Touko deadpanned. At this, the King crossed his arms over his chest, a pout still firm on his face. He didn't say anything. "Are you _jealous_?"

"Should I be?" He asked sharply.

"No, you shouldn't" she said with more than a hint of animosity, before pausing and taking a deep breath. "I didn't nearly tear this place upside down looking for anyone but _you_" She added, grabbing both of his arms by the wrist and uncrossing them. He wasn't quite looking at her, but he seemed to have calmed a bit. "Now can we talk about what happened yesterday?" Silence was the only thing that met her question, so she added "N, you can tell me anything"

After a few sighs, N returned Touko's gaze. "I apologize for my behavior. I should never have-" he broke off. "Arceus" he muttered under his breath, glancing at Touko, who looked curiously at him. He sighed lengthily before saying "I don't know what to think" He paused, struggling to find the proper way to phrase his thoughts. "You muddle my thoughts. I can't seem to get any work done…"

"So _I'm_ the problem?" Touko tried to joke, faint traces of a smile at the corners where her lips met.

"No!" he shouted seriously, hands flying up in front of his chest as he turned his attention back towards her, stammering frantically. "I was mortified at my loss of restraint- that's why I left! A-and I was wrong to accuse… I've just…" he broke off, taking a deep, calming breath. "... never cared much for human companionship. But you… Touko, I have never wanted another person as badly as you in my life" He defended, gripping one of her shoulders gently.

"Oh" was all Touko was able to say. The smile was wiped from her face and she had grown serious. She hadn't thought of what his response might be. To make matters worse, N was staring down at her anxiously, waiting to see what else she might say. Touko silently cursed herself for not being able to come up with anything more intelligent than _'Oh'_.

"I understand" N said after a few more moments of silence, dropping his hands back to his sides. "You must be terribly overwhelmed" he added, trying to mask his obvious disappointment. "I'll leave you to your thoughts"

He began heading for the exit, when a sleeve was caught tightly by the smaller teen. He turned around, seeing that she seemed to be as surprised as he was. They both observed where she grabbed him, a slight flush came over N, though he failed to acknowledge it.

"I'm tired of going back and forth" Touko said sternly, her gaze shifting slightly as she switched her focus from one eye to the other with each word. Her eyes were wide and her cheeks were rosy. "I want you, too" The words sounded strange coming from her mouth. The voice didn't belong to her, this one was unwavering and passionate and completely unafraid to voice the truth.

"Touko" he breathed out a sigh of what seemed to be relief. He nearly fell into her, embracing her tightly. Touko regained her footing and returned the gesture. She. Felt him readjust his head so that his lips fell just beside her ear. "I'd like to take you on a proper date, if you're willing"

Touko felt herself nod.

* * *

"Miss Touko, it's time to get up" the Goddesses chided the teen.

"Ten more minutes" Touko mumbled sleepily, trying to shield herself from the sunlight that had overtaken the room once the older women had drawn back the curtains.

"Today is the big day!" Concordia said enthusiastically.

"You wouldn't want to keep Master N waiting" Anthea scolded.

"We're not meeting until dusk" Touko grumbled. "It's barely sunrise"

"But you've got to prepare" Anthea elaborated. "You've got to look presentable if you're to be seen with Master N"

"To be seen?" Touko questioned aloud as the covers were finally stripped from her, forcing her to get up. "Alright, alright. I'm up"

As it turned out, being made 'presentable' required being stripped of all body hair. At least that was how Touko felt, having had various parts of her body waxed. The goddesses had stolen hair from her legs, underarms, eyebrows, upper lip etc, etc. Her skin was pink and sore afterwards. It was a painful new experience, to say the least.

After the intense hair removal session, they made her bathe and gave the dead ends of her hair a trim, though still kept it long at her request. The rest of the day was devoted to a manicure and pedicure.

Finally, Touka was allowed to see herself, dressed in the same dress that she wore at Chargestone cave. Her natural waves and curls had been amped up, and the makeup that covered her face made her look nearly flawless.

"So this is _presentable_, to you?" Touko's jaw gaped open in awe.

"I would advise you to close your mouth when with Master N" Anthea advised. "Otherwise you might catch a Bug-type"

* * *

Cold wind whipped Touko's arms mercilessly as they flew through the night sky, so she was more than thrilled when Reshiram had descended.

They had landed onto a beach, the Pokemon's feet occasionally being lapped by the tides of the nearby ocean. Touko slid down the Pokemon with ease, shrugging her shoes off and sticking her own into the cool shallow depth.

N observed her with a smile. The pale moonlight made her exposed skin seem to glow, and the ocean turned her blue eyes startlingly bright. He bid the creature farewell, after dismounting, then moved to take her hand. Gathering up her shoes, she joined him.

They walked along the beach until city lights had become visible. They were soft, flicks of gold against a sea of dark blue that seemed to envelop the town. Once they got closer, Touko saw that it was not a small city, but a series of white villas that were spread out on terraces across from the ocean.

N led them into the closest one, where he produced a key. The interior was simple: cream colored walls with wooden paneling. A small kitchen resided in the northwestern corner, while a TV and sofa resided in the one to the right of it. There was also a door on the right wall, which Touko assumed led to the bathroom. "Where are we, N?"

"Undella town" he replied while taking off his jacket and placing it on the back of the sofa. "You look beautiful" he said, resting his head on a loose fist. He shot her a sideways look, one that made Touko'a heart flutter as she approached him. He quickly wrapped his arms loosely around her waist, pulling her closer to him. As he leaned down to kiss her, Touko's stomach growled loudly. "Of all the times…" N muttered in a joking manner. He dropped his hands, taking one of hers in one of his own and led her from the villa.

They walked the stone terrace all the way across to a restaurant. The lighting was low inside, and it was nearly empty, with only few couples young and old alike scattered throughout the restaurant. N led them to table set for two a little ways away, complete with dinnerware, a white tablecloth that glowed in the candlelight, and a vase full of roses. N smoothly pulled out a chair for her to sit and joined her on the other side.

"N, what is all of this?"

"A proper date" N replied. Touko looked at him keenly for the very first time all night. The glow from the candles softened his features considerably, removing any stress lines caused by work. His hair had been neatly tied back, and he wore a striking black suit, which contrasted his own pale skin. If this was N's version of a proper date, Touko would love to see what his version of a 'proper' party might look like…

She let her eyes wander to the other couples as they waited for the waiter to approach them. She skimmed over an elderly couple closest to them, and stopped on a woman across the restaurant, who had her gaze already fixed on Touko. Even when sitting, Touko could tell that woman was tall, with long pale gold hair cascading down her back. She wore a deep blue dress, almost a black color, that seemed to emphasize her steely gaze. Accompanying her was a much older man who was far less formal. He must have been her grandfather, Touko thought, unless they were…

"Madame? What may I get for you to drink?" the waiter said patiently, probably for the second time.

"Uhh…" Touko muttered stupidly.

"Two glasses of your finest Champagne" N interjected quickly. The man nodded and departed, and N turned to Touko with a concerned look on his face. "Are you alright, Touko? If you're not feeling well, we can always go back"

"No, I'm fine" Touko said a little bit too quickly. "I just got distracted. There was a woman staring at us"

"Where?" N inquired.

"Across the way. She's blonde and seated with an older man" He followed her gaze, surprised to find only the old man there. "That's weird" Touko muttered in confusion. It didn't last long however, because the waiter was back with their drinks.

N raised his glass to her, a broad smile stretched across his face. "To you" he said. Touko, a bit flushed raised her own and clinked his before downing the golden liquid. It was sweet, with the reminiscent taste of honey.

Touko pushed the woman to the back of her mind. She was on a date, after all. The two ate in almost complete silence, mostly due to the fact that there was not much to discuss seeing as they were together almost 24 hours a day. Once finished, N paid and they walked along the beach together, the tide rolling over their bare feet as they approached their villa.

N paused at the door, and for a moment, Touko thought that he might have lost the key. He turned towards her and said "I did some research." Touko raised a brow at this curiously, waiting for him to elaborate. "If a date has gone well, usually the couple shares a kiss, correct?" Touko grabbed his lapels and pulled him to her, brushing her lips against his. For once, no guilt, confusion, or embarrassment accompanied the kiss. It was just N and Touko.

* * *

***LEMON***

The pair had furthered their kiss once inside of the bedroom. N laid atop of her on the bed, braced on his forearms, so that his body weight would not crush her. Touko's hands snaked their way up his back, under his shirt, while his continuously traveled her clothed form.

She slid her hands from underneath his back, grabbing the hem and stripping him of it. Her hands roamed his smooth, bare chest. A few green hairs stood out against the pale flesh. Her fingers lightly brushed the small circular indent of where he had been shot. He shuddered under her touch and she paused, thinking she had caused him pain.

"Sorry" she said breathlessly. In response, N brought his lips down on hers again. They rolled together, so that N's bare back hit the plump mattress while Touko climbed on top of him, straddling his midsection.

While one of N's hands now pressed her into him, the other played with her soft curls. Touko was hyper-aware of everywhere that he touched her, and that the only thing that truly separated them were a few layers of clothing. Her hands made their way into his hair. She pulled him as close as she could, and a groan of pleasure escaped N at the friction he now felt when she moved even the slightest bit against him.

"Touko" N said breathily in between kisses. Touko rolled her hips against his experimentally and N gave another moan of satisfaction. Not long after that, a noticeable hard lump had formed in his black slacks. She crawled off of N before helping him undo his belt and pull his pants down. Touko stared owlishly at the lump that was clearly defined in the white boxers that he wore. She reached for it, surprised to find that it wasn't rock solid as she thought. At this, N gave a yelp and ground his hips against her hand. The cry startled Touko, who moved her hand away.

"Sorry…" She mumbled sheepishly, staring at N, her hand still hovering over his clothed member. It hit Touko what exactly she was about to do and her face turned a deep red color.

"Touko, you don't have to- Ah!" N had begun, not anticipating that she would have gone farther. He sunk into the mattress, involuntarily, pushing his lower half closer to Touko. She had freed it from his boxers, and began rubbing it lightly, making small spurts of pre-come flow from the tip. She licked the tip tentatively a few times before taking the head fully in her mouth. She sat still for a moment, before beginning to move her head back and forth in a steady rhythm. "A-ah!" N hissed, clutching at her.

"What?!" Touko asked, startled by the abrupt action.

"T-teeth" he seethed. "It's sensitive"

"S-sorry" Touko stammered before taking him in her mouth once again, this time more conscious about her teeth. She tried her best to take all of him into her mouth, but kept gagging on the sizable member every time. Taking one of her hands, she began to lightly stroke the length of him that she couldn't fit in her mouth.

N, meanwhile, laid almost completely helpless, letting the stimulation wash over him in waves. It was hot, and wet, and unlike anything that he could have ever experienced alone. Besides, it felt better that it was Touko who was doing such things to him.

He muttered her name and a slew of curse words when she began moving her head faster. His hands twisted into her hair, yanking almost painfully on the dark chocolate locks. He tried to conceal hissing noises, and completely lost it when her wide blue eyes met his half lidded ones. The warm, milky substance hitting the back of her throat surprised Touko, who ended up gagging most of it out, but not before getting a taste of the salty, bitter liquid.

"You... alright?" he panted, sitting up shakily and placing a hand on the other teen's back as she finished her coughing fit. She nodded, clearing her throat and wiping her face of the mixture of cum and spit.

"Sorry" She apologized again, lifting her head to meet his gaze.

"You have nothing to apologize for" he laughed halfheartedly, a lazy smile plastered on his face.

The dress she wore had gotten dirty, so she stripped herself of it and placed it on the ground next to her. N's eyes widened at the sight of her mostly exposed body climbing onto his lap, her arms linked loosely around his neck. Cautiously, he placed his cold hands on her hips and looked at her for permission.

She guided one hand toward her breast, and he gave a small squeeze to it. A gasp escaped Touko's mouth, and a look of, what seemed to be, pleasure blanketed her features "Your expression… I have never seen it on your face before"

Touko felt her face heat up at his comment, though she ignored it, quickly undoing her bra and casting it aside. N stared up at her chest blankly, and a sudden string of self-conscious thoughts filled her mind. _Did they look wrong? Were they too small? Was he repulsed?_ N sat up straighter, his eyes still fixated on her chest, as Touko resisted the urge to redress.

"Y-you can touch them" Touko suggested nervously. His eyes flicked to hers for a brief second before he trailed his hands up her stomach slowly, making Touko shiver. He gently grabbed her right breast and began massaging. N's lips clamped onto her neck, feeling hot against her vulnerable skin. Touko could hear her own breathing, which had become harsh. His lips left a trail of kisses that traveled down along her collarbone, and stopped right above her breast. Touko made a noise of protest, urging him to take the rosy bud into his mouth.

He licked her nipple teasingly, only taking it into his mouth after it hardened. Another pleasureful moan escaped Touko's mouth, as she pulled herself closer to him. A rush of adrenaline spiked her body, heightening everywhere he touched her. Her hushed, unintelligible whispers spurred N on, as he latched onto the other breast and began sucking harder. She felt herself grow wet, and instinctively ground her lower half against N's.

His lips left her breast then, and he rolled just enough so that Touko was in between him and the mattress. The other hand that had been working her breast began trailing down until it softly stroked her over her underwear. N paused when it came away wet, licking his fingers, both arousing and embarrassing Touko. He leaned over her and began kissing her fiercely, her semi-open mouth making it easy for him to slip his tongue inside. His hands, meanwhile, began pulling her underwear down, until it joined her dress.

"C-condoms?" Touko whispered breathily into his mouth.

N's fingers blindly groped the bedside table until scraping the wrapping. Clumsy fingers ripped open the package too quickly, tearing the latex barrier as well. He reached for another one, but before he could attempt to open it, Touko took it from him, opening it herself. She reached out and began stroking him again until he grew hard, then carefully rolled the condom onto it. She then laid back onto the mattress with her legs spread and hanging off the side, allowing him entrance.

N positioned his member towards Touko, attempting to find her entrance, but missed a few successive times in a row. She could tell he was growing frustrated (as was she). "It's okay" she attempted to soothe. "Lay down" She commanded, and when he did, she crawled on top of him, adjusting herself so that she hovered just above him. She slowly began pushing herself onto him, stopping every few seconds to get used to the sensation.

"Touko" N whined at the lack of friction as her walls slowly came down on him.

"I know" Touko staggered. "Just a little bit long-" she tried to coax, but N had begun unexpectedly before she could finish her thought. His hips bucked wildly out of sync, bouncing Touko until she was slightly dizzy. She placed her hands on his chest in an attempt to steady herself. "N… Slow…" she tried to say, but it came out too warped to make out.

Then all of a sudden, he held his lower half steady, letting the euphoric sensation of her inner walls sink in. "... Did... you?" Touko asked, shakily.

"Nuh-uh" N replied, sounding pained.

"T-try to go slow" Touko said, her voice still unsteady.

"O-okay" N strained. His hands came and gripped either hip roughly. Much more slowly, he began pumping in and out of Touko. At the slower pace, Touko had been able to adjust to the feeling of having N inside of her. Though more comfortable, the sensation still felt foreign, but not as unpleasant.

The slow pace became unbearably hot, so N experimentally picked up the pace. He took it as a good sign when a few moans of pleasure left Touko's mouth, and continued to gradually increase. His vision was blurring, and his breathing had grown beyond ragged as he struggled to contain himself, for Touko's sake.

After a few more thrusts, he couldn't hold on anymore. The heat of her on his most sensitive parts and the glorious friction had been too much, and he came inside of her, exhaling harshly. Touko felt the warmth of his release, signalling that he had been satisfied and gently climbed off the now soft member, though she herself felt unresolved.

She rolled to the side, so that she lay next to N. The only sound that filled the room was their sluggish breathing, which had become somewhat in sync. "Touko" N said, looking over at her with pure adoration. He reached over and kissed her temple before disposing of the condom in the nearby trash. When he laid back on the bed, he laid on his stomach so that he could get a better view of Touko. "How did you feel?"

"It was good" Touko replied halfheartedly. At this N frowned.

"Did you cum?" N asked, taking Touko aback. It was always strange to hear more vulgar statements leave N's mouth.

"I don't think so"

"Let me try again" N requested. Slightly curious and still aroused, Touko nodded her head in agreement. He shot her a boyish smile before climbing over and latching onto a nipple. Instead of kneading the other breast, his hand travelled downwards, towards her opening. Touko's first reflex was to close her thighs, but N had blocked her from doing that with his body. He stopped his hand just above her entrance, stimulating the sensitive spot, her clit. He squeezed it in between two of his fingers and Touko's hips jutted upwards, reflexively.

It felt good, the pressure on her clit. Touko wondered exactly how he knew what to do, but quickly forgot the thought at the next jolt of pleasure. His mouth had moved from her breath and was now trailing kisses on her stomach. Touko audibly gasped when he stuck two fingers inside of her and moaned when he began rubbing them against the roof of her inner walls. She could feel her inner walls squeeze N's hand tightly, and more warm liquid begin flow from her, His pace increased rapidly, hardly allowing Touko time to process the immense pleasurable feeling before she withered into the mattress, sighing contently.

N crawled beside her, embracing her after gathering the blankets to cover them. They fell asleep quickly, both breathing and heartbeats aligned.

* * *

I apologize if it's a super awkward chapter, seeing as the lemon is about half of it, and I can't write about the sex for shit. Anyways, I hope you've enjoyed the story so far! Let me know!


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